The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday confirmed that the country's Premier, Li Qiang, will attend the G20 Summit in India this week, ending all speculation over President Xi Jinping's possible visit to New Delhi for the meet.
China's latest statement means that Xi Jinping will skip the meeting.
Quoting foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, the statement read: "At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10."
Jinping is now the second top world leader after Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to skip the G20 Meet in the Indian capital city.
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 had agreed to intensify efforts at expeditious "disengagement and de-escalation" to restore normal relationships between the two countries.
