India awaits written confirmation from China on President Xi Jinping's attendance at G20 summit

He said that the participation of world leaders in summits such as the G20 is usually conveyed through a diplomatic note. "I think that (confirmation on Xi's participation) is awaited…We have received most of the other confirmations," he added.

Notably, a Reuters report said that Xi is likely to skip the G20 summit in New Delhi next week. Two Indian officials, one diplomat based in China and one official working for the government of another G20 country said Premier Li Qiang is expected to represent Beijing at the Sept. 9-10 meeting in New Delhi. However, there is no official confirmation yet, the report said.

Since the 2020 Galwan clashes, Sino-India relations have witnessed increasing tensions and lingering border disputes despite numerous diplomatic talks and recent corps commander meetings. These issues persist, with China's recent release of a new map claiming sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh and the contested Aksai Chin plateau, further aggravating the situation.

Meanwhile, the US president Joe Biden, who is attending the meeting, in his first visit to India after becoming the president, is hoping that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping would attend the G20 Summit. "The answer is I hope he attends the G20 Summit," Biden told reporters Thursday when asked if he is expecting President Xi to attend the meet.

Biden, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are among the G20 leaders who have already confirmed their participation in the summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it will not be possible for him to travel to India to participate in the summit.

Modi will hand over the baton of the G20 Presidency to Brazilian President Lula on September 10. Brazil will formally assume the G20 Presidency on December 1.