New Delhi: In light of recent announcements from China regarding the change in their representation at the upcoming G20 Summit in Delhi, government sources have clarified that fluctuations in attendance levels at global summits are common occurrences, with the level of representation varying annually. They emphasized that the reasons for this might be manifold, including the busy schedules of world leaders, which might prevent them from attending every summit personally, and sometimes even for personal reasons.
After a period of speculation surrounding Chinese President Xi Jinping’s participation in the event, it was confirmed by the Chinese foreign ministry earlier today that Premier Le Qiang would be representing China at the summit instead. This decision comes at a time when India is presiding over the G20 rotating presidency this year.
Sources further clarified on Sunday that the attendance of different representatives doesn’t cast any reflection on the hosting nation. It was pointed out that since 2008, out of the 17 summits conducted, including the virtual meeting in 2020 facilitated by Saudi Arabia owing to the COVID pandemic, there hasn’t been a single instance from 2010 onwards where every nation was represented at the Head of State or Head of Government level.
Drawing upon past attendance records, the sources indicated that between 2010 and 2013, and again in 2016 and 2017, six nations had representatives other than the designated Heads of State or Governments. Furthermore, there were five other instances during 2010, 2014-15, and 2018-19 where this was the case. They also highlighted that during the peak of the pandemic in 2021, six countries were represented by individuals below the stipulated rank, and in the subsequent year, three countries dispatched teams not led by the designated Heads of State or Governments, particularly in the wake of Russia’s unauthorized aggression towards Ukraine.
Overall, this pattern of variable representation at such global forums seems to be a norm rather than an exception, signifying the complexities of international diplomacy and the demands on the time of global leaders.