‘If China wants to play spoiler…’: US NSA Sullivan ahead of G20 Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s absence at the G20 Summit in India has certainly raised eyebrows among political leaders. Beijing has so far not provided any explanation and instead announced that Chinese Premier Li Qiang, considered to be one of the "weakest premiers”, will be gracing the event.

During a press interaction in Washington on Tuesday (Sept 5), US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was asked about Xi’s absence and the possible linkages to the present India-China tensions.

“As far as the question of tensions between India and China affecting the (G20) summit, really that's up to China. If China wants to come in and play the role of spoiler, of course, that option is available to them,” he said.

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“What I think the Chair, India, will encourage them to do what we, the United States and every other member, virtually every other member of the G20 will do, is encourage them to come in, in a constructive way on climate, on multilateral development, bank reform, on debt relief, on technology and set aside the geopolitical questions and really focus on problem-solving and delivering for the developing countries,” Sullivan said.

Li Qang to arrive with delegation

On Monday, the Chinese foreign ministry announced that a delegation led by Premier Li Qiang will land in New Delhi while expressing Beijing's readiness to work with all parties to make the high-profile meeting a success.

At the invitation of the Government of India, Premier of the State Council Li will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said in a brief statement.

At the G-20 Summit, Sullivan said President Joe Biden will be clear that the United States expects real progress.

“He will be clear that we need all G20 members to be constructive and at the table, with no exceptions. We'll also be making progress on other key priorities, from climate to health to digital technology, including commitments, with respect to a more inclusive digital transformation and a responsible path and approach to AI development,” he said.

Sullivan said that the US was looking forward to welcoming the African Union (AU) as the newest permanent member of the bloc. The remarks come in the wake of a proposal to add AU to the grouping.

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