Xi Jinping’s absence from G20 frustrates European leaders eager for time with China’s decision maker
- A personal meeting with Xi is seen as an opportunity to pitch Eurocentric views on key issues that he is unlikely to hear from his small group of advisers
- Uncertainty about how much sway Premier Li Qiang, who is attending the summit in Xi’s place, has over the president
European leaders’ efforts to gain a diplomatic foothold with China have been frustrated by President Xi Jinping’s decision to skip this week’s G20 summit in New Delhi.
Capitals are increasingly of the view that Xi alone calls the shots in today’s China, and that time with him is a precious opportunity to pitch a Eurocentric view of key issues, starting with Ukraine, that he is unlikely to hear from his small pool of advisers.
Last week, European Council President Charles Michel was informed that his meeting with Xi on the sidelines of the G20 would not take place and was instead offered time with Premier Li Qiang, who is attending in his place, sources said.
Michel had already met Li at a finance summit in Paris in June, and there is uncertainty in his circle about how much sway he has over Xi. The recent defenestration of foreign minister Qin Gang is often cited as an example of how opaque the already “black box” of elite Chinese politics has become.
01:20
Chinese President Xi Jinping to skip G20 summit in New Delhi, India
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had requested a meeting with Xi and is now expecting to meet Li, while diplomatic sources said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had also planned to meet the Chinese leader, groundwork that was laid during Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s trip to Beijing last week.