By Jeff Mason
REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sunday that he was disappointed that Chinese President Xi Jinping was not attending the summit of G20 leaders in India, but added that he was going to “get to see him.”
“I am disappointed … but I am going to get to see him,” Biden told reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, without elaborating.
Biden will visit India from Sept. 7-10 for a summit of the Group of 20 nations, followed by a trip to Vietnam as his administration seeks to strengthen U.S. relations in Asia.
Xi is the likely to skip summit and Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected to represent Beijing at the meeting in New Delhi, sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters.
Asked if he was looking forward to his trip, Biden said, “Yes, I am.”
“I want a little more … coordination. I think they both (India and Vietnam) want much closer relations with the United States and that can be very helpful,” Biden said.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Ismail Shakil; editing by Diane Craft)
