NEW DELHI/BEIJING, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping's decision to skip the G20 summit is being seen in host India as a snub to New Delhi and a new setback to the already frozen relations between the nuclear-armed Asian giants.
Asked if Xi's decision reflects China-India tensions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that Beijing had supported India's hosting of the summit.
China did not refer to any agreement and said Xi stressed improving ties helps both countries and global peace and stability.
Shyam Saran, formerly India's top diplomat, said Xi's decision to skip the summit was "unusual".
Happymon Jacob, who teaches international relations at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, said Xi skipping the G20 summit "doesn't bode well" for India-China relations.
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