US President Joe Biden on Sunday said he was disappointed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s absence from this week’s G20 summit in India, saying he would still have an opportunity to meet with him, AFP reported. Monday.

Joe Biden Photo: Evan Vucci/Associated Press/Profimedia Images

Asked about Xi Jinping’s absence from the New Delhi summit, President Biden told reporters, “I’m disappointed, but I’ll be able to see him,” without giving further details.

In recent months, the United States and China have resumed dialogue thanks to a series of visits to Beijing by high-ranking officials, including the head of American diplomacy, Anthony Blinken. However, bilateral relations remain strained, with trade disputes, Chinese expansion in the South China Sea and the issue of the democratic autonomous island of Taiwan continuing to represent sensitive aspects of bilateral relations.

A senior European Union official said Thursday that President Xi Jinping will not attend the G20 and will be represented by Premier Li Qiang.

China’s president and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a rare face-to-face meeting at the BRICS summit in South Africa last month, but tensions remain high between the two Asian giants. (Agerpress)