The Absence of Xi Jinping and the Fall of Qin Gang

Delegates, including Foreign Minister Qin Gang (2nd R), applaud as Chinese leader Xi Jinping (bottom C) arrives for the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 13, 2023. Noel Celis/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary 

The absence of Chinese leader Xi Jinping from the G20 summit was unprecedented, unexplained, and more than a little mysterious. So was his failure to read his own speech at a BRICS forum in South Africa, his no-show during China’s flood disaster in July and August, and his prolonged absences from public view throughout the summer.