No middle ground

Xi's decision to skip the G20 summit is a lose-lose

After weeks of speculation, the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed on Monday that President Xi Jinping would not be attending the G20 summit in New Delhi this weekend. China instead will be represented by Premier Li Qiang, number two in the government. While China has not given any specific reason for the absence of Mr Xi, there could be many explanations. For one, the diplomatic relations between India and China are significantly strained, at least since the border clashes of 2020, which led to an increased military presence at the Line of Actual Control. It could also be a signal to