Xi and Putin confirmed for November’s G20 summit in Bali

Indonesia’s president, who has cast himself as a mediator over Ukraine, says both leaders will travel to resort island.

Chinese and Russian presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have both confirmed they will attend the G20 summit on the resort island of Bali this November, according to President Joko Widodo.

“Xi Jinping will come. President Putin has also told me he will come,” Widodo said in an interview, confirming their attendance for the first time.

The November summit will mark the first time that Putin, Xi and United States President Joe Biden will have met in person since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, triggering sanctions from Western countries as well as G20 members Japan and South Korea. China has avoided condemning the attack or joining the sanctions, which took place days after Beijing and Moscow announced a “no limits” partnership.

A longtime adviser to the Indonesian president also confirmed Putin and Xi would attend the summit.

The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin and Widodo had discussed preparations for the G20 summit in a phone call on Thursday without confirming that the Russian leader would attend. Another official familiar with the situation said that Putin plans to attend the meeting in person.

A trip to Bali would be significant given it would be Xi’s first time outside China since the start of the pandemic in early 2020.

China has maintained a strict zero-COVID policy that has all but sealed its borders, and Xi is preparing to secure an unprecedented third term as president during the congress of the ruling Communist Party, which is expected to take place in late October or early November.

Agencies