This year’s G20 summit — the annual gathering of the world’s dominant economies — takes place this weekend. This year’s event is hosted in New Delhi, yet another sign of India’s growing place on the global stage.

Chinese Leader Xi Jinping is skipping this year’s gathering and facing criticism from abroad for that decision. While no official reason has been given for Xi’s absence, tensions with the host nation, the U.S. and the West are all seen as a big part of the snub.

Host Scott Tong speaks to Ishaan Tharoor, foreign affairs columnist for Here & Now‘s editorial partners at the Washington Post, for a preview.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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