Missing Mr Xi

China's leader skips the G20, underlining his unwillingness to make place for an aspirational India

Leaders from across the world have gathered in New Delhi this weekend for the G20 summit. An expectant air hangs over the city: The Public Works Department has spruced large parts of it up, and the security services have shut the rest of it down.

For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the international outcomes, while important, might in fact be secondary. The general election is looming, and Mr Modi would like a conspicuous success at the summit. A crucial part of Mr Modi’s implicit contract with his voters is that, under him, India will take on a leadership role in world affairs