Beijing describes India-China relations as “Generally Stable” as Xi Jinping skips the G20
Despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s decision to skip this week’s Group of 20 meeting in New Delhi, China has termed existing bilateral ties with India as “generally stable”. Beijing said on Monday that the nation will be represented at the summit in New Delhi on September 9–10 by second-ranked leader Premier Li Qiang.
The spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, said at a news conference on Tuesday that Chinese authorities have “always supported India’s hosting of this year’s summit and are ready to work with all parties to make the G20 summit a success.” Beijing hasn’t yet provided an explanation for Xi’s decision to skip the major diplomatic gathering, however.
“Overall, China-India ties have been steady, and our two countries have maintained contact and engagement at all levels. The mutual interests of the two nations and two peoples are served by the ongoing development and enhancement of China-India ties. To further strengthen and deepen our bilateral ties with India, we are ready to collaborate with them, she said.
These comments come at a time when relations between the two neighbors are still tense because to the Ladakh border dispute that sparked a violent conflict three years ago. Tens of thousands of soldiers, as well as artillery and tanks, have been stationed by either side in the mountainous region, where it has developed into a protracted stalemate.
The G20 summit, which represents two-thirds of the world’s population and approximately 85% of the global GDP, was expected as a prospective setting for a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US Vice President Joe Biden.
Top government officials also informed News18 that Xi Jinping’s absence from the G20 Summit is mostly due to India’s aggressive rhetoric about border disputes. A bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they said, may be something the Chinese President is attempting to avoid.
PM Modi sternly demanded that Xi explain his stance on the border conflict during their short encounter last month, which took place on the margins of the BRICS Summit in South Africa.
According to sources, Xi Jinping’s trip to India for the G20 Summit would have been disastrous diplomatically if he had skipped a bilateral meeting with the host country.
