Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the plenary session of the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023.
GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Only China can explain the reason for the absence of President Xi Jinping from the annual G20 summit in New Delhi this weekend, a U.S. official said on Saturday.
"Some have speculated China's absence indicates that it is giving up on the G20, building an alternative world order, that it will privilege groupings like the BRICS," Finer said.
Also absent from the summit is President Vladimir Putin of Russia, which is being represented instead by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Last Sunday, reacting to news that Xi would not attend the G20 summit, Biden said he was "disappointed" but would "get to see him".
Persons:
Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Joe Biden, Jon, Li Qiang, Vladimir Putin of, Sergei Lavrov, Biden, Xi, Sudipto Ganguly, Clarence Fernandez
Organizations:
REUTERS Acquire, U.S, Thomson
Locations:
Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, DELHI, China, New Delhi, U.S, United States, Vladimir Putin of Russia, India, Brazil