Editorial_08.09.

As far as participation in important international gatherings such as the G20 summit is concerned, representatives of participating countries probably don’t have a „yes,“ „no,“ or „maybe“ selection option as they do with a Teams meeting. Nevertheless, Xi Jinping has canceled his attendance at next week’s summit in India. As to why, speculation is running wild. Apart from his possible reasons, it is also interesting to see what his absence means for the summit. Western countries attach great symbolism to his absence, writes Christiane Kuehl. For the host, India’s Prime Minister Modi, reaching a joint final declaration will not be easy as it is. If it fails, the meeting risks losing relevance.