As world leaders head for India’s capital, New Dehli, China’s President Xi Jinping’s conspicuous absence continues to dominate the conversation.
Instead, China’s second most senior leader, Premier Li Qiang, will be travelling to the event this weekend.
Xi’s absence from the summit is linked to growing border tensions between China and India. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi both attended the 15 BRICS Summit in South Africa last month.
WATCH: Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit
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Russia and China skip G20
Two BRICS presidents (China and Russia) are skipping this year’s G20 gathering despite being hosted by a fellow BRICS country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin skipped last month’s BRICS Summit because he is wanted for war crimes in Ukraine.
South Africa, a signatory to the Rome Statute, was obligated in terms of its international and domestic laws to arrest Putin.
But Putin opted to skip the BRICS gathering, helping South Africa to avoid a diplomatic fallout.
However, India is not a Rome Statute signatory and is not compelled to enact the International Criminal Courts arrest warrant.
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US president tests negative for Covid-19
The White House confirmed that US President Joe Biden was coming to India for the G20 summit this weekend.
The 80-year-old had to be tested for COVID-19 after the US first lady tested positive for the virus.
China’s and Russia’s leader’s absence might help Biden bolster alliances in the sharply divided bloc. Speculation is rife that Putin and Xi view the BRICS bloc as more significant to its geopolitical ambitions than the G20.
The Russia-Ukraine war, phasing out of fossil fuels and debt restructuring will likely dominate talks and hamper agreements at the two-day meeting in New Delhi.
