US President Joe Biden has expressed disappointment that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, might not attend the upcoming G20 Summit in India.
"I am disappointed… but I am going to get to see him," Biden told reporters on Sunday, according to a BBC report.
However, he did not say where they were going to meet.
In August, the White House confirmed that Biden will be visiting New Delhi from Sept 7-10 to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
India holds the Presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
Biden and Jinping had last met during a summit in Indonesia in 2022.
The Chinese President is likely to skip the G20 meet in New Delhi:
According to a Hindustan Times report, chances of Jinping attending the G20 Summit are “extremely low” and Beijing is expected to be represented by Premier Li Qiang.
The development comes at a time when India lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with Beijing over the issue of the 2023 standard map of China that lays claim to India’s territory.
In response to media queries, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi earlier said, "India rejects these claims as they have no basis."
"Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question," the MEA spokesperson said.
India's response came after China on August 28 officially released the 2023 edition of its “standard map” where Arunachal Pradesh, the Aksai Chin region, Taiwan, and the disputed South China Sea were all included within the Chinese territory.
The map was released days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a "resolution" of the long-standing border issues between the two nations on the sidelines of the 15th edition of the BRICS Summit in South Africa.
The two leaders also agreed to intensify efforts at expeditious "disengagement and de-escalation" to restore normal relationships between the two countries.
