A country can decide who represents them: Jaishankar on Xi Jinping's absence

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said it is China to decide who represents the country at the virtual G20 Summit, news agency ANI reported.

The matter cropped up after Chinese President Xi Jinping remained absent at the event.

Jaishankar pointed out that Prime Minister Li Qiang represented the country at the G20 Summit in September.

‘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 was quoted as saying.

The minister called India’s G20 presidency ‘Global South-centric’, adding that it brought development back to the outfit.

This aspect, according to him, was a ‘very widely voiced thought not just among the G20 members’, and even ‘among the international organisations’.

‘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,’he was quoted as saying.

Touching on the Gaza situation, the minister said the G20 members welcomed the ceasefire and decision on release of hostages alongside supplying of relief materials.

Further expanding on the group’s observation on Gaza war, Jaishankar said that ‘So overall, there was a strong sentiment expressed by the leaders to ensure implementation of the commitments that were agreed to.’

The virtual G20 Summit on Wednesday was conducted under the chairmanship of PM Modi.