U.S. President Joe Biden has expressed his hopes for Xi Jinping‘s participation at the forthcoming G20 leaders summit in India, amidst recent reports suggesting at Chinese president’s potential absence.

What Happened: According to analysts, Xi’s potential absence could be due to a reluctance to give neighboring rival, India, the spotlight. Two sources in China confirmed the possibility of Xi’s absence, although the specific reasons remain undisclosed, reported The Guardian.

Biden, during a Washington press briefing reacting to media reports, on Thursday, said, "I hope he attends."

Despite this, U.S. officials have downplayed the chances of a Xi-Biden meeting in New Delhi, hinting at a potential meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in San Francisco in November.

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Why It Matters: These developments come against the backdrop of escalating U.S.-China tensions. In May, Biden’s envoy to China, Nicholas Burns, declared the U.S. readiness to talk to Xi, and expressed hopes that Beijing would “meet us halfway on this.”

Biden in June refused to backtrack on his characterization of Xi as a “dictator” during a conference with India’s PM Narendra Modi. This statement was seen as a continuity of a firm stance towards China.

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