Ms. Mao declined to explain the reason for the decision and refused to answer questions about Mr. Xi.
The Chinese leader has never missed a G20 summit, which brings together 19 countries and the European Union, since taking power in 2012.
The opacity of Chinese politics and Beijing’s reticence make it difficult to know why Mr. Xi appears to have chosen not to attend the summit.
Analysts say it could reflect Mr. Xi’s preference for groupings in which China is more dominant, such as the recently concluded BRICS summit of emerging nations in Johannesburg.
Given that Mr. Xi would be missing an opportunity to meet with President Biden on the sidelines of the summit, the move might suggest that Mr. Xi wants to ease tensions with the United States on his own terms.
Persons:
Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Mao Ning, Mao, Xi, Beijing’s, Biden
Organizations:
China’s Foreign Ministry, European Union, Russia
Locations:
China, New Delhi, India, United States, Washington, Asia, Johannesburg