The Chinese head of state Xi Jinping is likely to skip the G20 summit scheduled for next week in India, Reuters reported on Thursday. Officials in India and China told the news outlet that Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected to represent the country at the September 9-10 event in New Delhi. The sources said they didn't know the reason for Xi's expected absence, Reuters said.
Perhaps this is a reaction to US policy around Taiwan. China is firmly opposed to US arms sales to Taiwan and urges Washington not to allow tensions in the Taiwan Strait to escalate, the spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said on Thursday.
At the same time, XI the decreasing importance of the G20 format for China. The decision comes just a week after it was announced that BRICS had added six more members.
Xi Jinping was born on June 15, 1953 in Beijing, China. He comes from a prominent political family; his father, Xi Zhongxun, was a veteran of the communist revolution and an influential figure in Chinese politics. Xi Jinping followed in his father's footsteps and began his political career at a young age.
He graduated from Tsinghua University in Beijing and joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1974. In the years that followed, he held various positions in different provinces of China and gained experience in various areas of administration and business.
Xi Jinping gained national attention when he was appointed secretary of the CCP in Shanghai in 2007. During his time there, he worked on strengthening party discipline and fighting corruption. These experiences helped him to establish himself within the party and strengthen his political power base.
His political career peaked in 2012 when he was appointed General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. This made him the most powerful man in China and put him on the path to becoming the Chinese President. In 2013 he assumed the post of President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, giving him broad political and military authority.
Xi Jinping is pursuing a "Chinese Dreams" policy aimed at reviving and strengthening China as a great national and international force. He has launched initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative to promote economic ties between China and other countries. At the same time, he has increasingly promoted tighter party discipline and a tougher stance on political opposition and expression.
Under Xi Jinping, China has placed greater emphasis on its own technological development and innovation to lead in fields such as artificial intelligence, 5G technology and space travel. His government has also taken a harder line on Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang, sparking controversy internationally.
On the domestic front, Xi Jinping has launched a massive anti-corruption campaign that has affected scores of high-ranking party members and officials. This campaign has further strengthened his position of power, but it has also raised concerns about political repression and arbitrary arrests.
Xi Jinping has played an important role in positioning China as a major global player. However, his vision for China's future and his style of leadership have also drawn mixed reactions, both inside and outside China.