China not to attend G20 summit in India

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 May 2023 16:23

China says it will not be attending the upcoming G20 summit in India as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have also not confirmed their attendance.

An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, May 16, 2023 (AP)

China confirmed to Indian authorities that it will not be attending the G20 Working Group meeting on Tourism that is due to be held in Srinagar from May 22-24.

There is also the possibility that Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt might not attend the meeting as their attendance has still not been confirmed.

"A total of 60 international delegates have registered so far for the Third working group meeting to be held from May 22-24," Union Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh said on Friday.

"A total of 17 G20 member countries have confirmed their participation till now. Those who have still not registered are China, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. The number of invited countries is 9 out of which only Egypt has not registered so far," Singh added.

China has previously stated that it "is firmly opposed to holding any kind of G20 meetings in disputed territory, and will not attend such meetings," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

As of now, none of the embassies of the non-participating countries have replied to requests for comment regarding their non-registration indicating a "boycott" for political reasons.

Out of all those invited to participate in the summit, Egypt is the only one that does not hold an official membership.

Having received a special invitation from Indian authorities, Egypt's potential refusal to attend the meeting could be the reflection of some serious diplomatic tensions.

In July 2022, China disregarded the G20 meeting in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, which is considered "disputed territory."

On another note, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are all members of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which has been heavily critical of India's policy in Jammu and Kashmir.

Other OIC members have nonetheless confirmed they would attend the event. These include Bangladesh, Indonesia, Oman, and the UAE.

As for Indonesia, it is reportedly sending one diplomat from the Embassy in New Delhi.

On May 16, a statement issued by UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Fernand de Varennes read that the G20 event being held in Srinagar is an effort to "normalize" human rights violations and the "denial of democratic and other rights" that he said were "ongoing".

India's mission in Geneva responded by rebuking the statements, saying that "As G20 President, it’s India’s prerogative to host its meetings in any part of the country."

Officials in Srinagar have informed reporters that preparations for the event are nearly complete.

Upon their arrival, delegates from foreign countries will be chauffered with security doubled-down at their disposal.

Police personnel on duty have been further requested "to extend proper protocol to the delegates from different nationalities."