As Chinese President Xi Jinping remained absent from the virtual G20 Summit on Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that it is for the country to decide who represents them.

Jaishankar said that Prime Minister Li Qiang represented China at the G20 Summit in September in the national capital as well.

“It’s for a country to decide who represents them, and Prime Minister Li Qiang had represented them at the G20 New Delhi Summit as well, so they chose to continue with that…,” Jaihshankar said during the G20 closing presser on Wednesday.

The EAM further said that India’s G20 presidency was Global South-centric, and it had brought development back to the centre of the G20.

He said, “There was one point, I think, which all of us would have noted today, a very clear recognition, that India’s G20 presidency was Global South-centric, and it had brought development back, fair, square, and centre of the G20. Think this was a very widely voiced thought not just among the G20 members, but also I would say among the international organisations.”

He revealed that G20 members welcomed the understanding reached on critical issues, including the release of hostages, the flow of relief material to Gaza, and a temporary pause in the fighting. The leaders conveyed a strong sentiment towards ensuring the implementation of the agreed-upon commitments.