China indicated yesterday that its top leader, Xi Jinping, would skip the G20 summit in New Delhi this weekend, dealing a blow to India, the event’s host nation, and raising questions about Xi’s profile as a global statesman.
A spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry said that China would send the premier, Li Qiang, to the event, but she declined to explain why.
Xi has never missed a G20 summit, which brings together 19 countries and the E.U., since taking power in 2012.
