Report: China’s Xi May Not Attend G20 Summit in Rome

Chinese diplomats informed G20 officials that President Xi Jinping might not attend a G20 summit in Italy this month in person, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

During a preparatory meeting in Florence last month, Chinese envoys said Xi might does not plan to attend the summit, referring to China’s Covid-19 protocols as a reason Xi did not intend to go to Rome.

There had been no communication on Xi's attendance since, and Italy, which is hosting the G-20 summit had yet to receive an official response, according to Bloomberg's report.

The Chinese leader has not left his country since mid-January 2020 and has not received any state guests for a year and a half. Therefore, his potential trip to Italy has been in question for a long time

If he does not go to Rome, it means a planned first in-person meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden will not take place.

Relations between the world's two largest economies remain strained. At the end of August, The South China Morning Post reported that the president was only considering virtual participation in the summit on October 30 and 31.

It is still unclear whether China intends to send a small delegation or not.