China’s new premier is taking his first steps into the global spotlight this week, in part thanks to President Xi Jinping’s surprise snub of a key gathering of world leaders in India.
Li Qiang was first attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Jakarta for wide-ranging talks on trade, climate change and global security. From there, he’ll head to a Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, becoming the first Chinese premier to join that annual huddle since it began in 2008.
That will give the 64-year-old former Xi aide a rare opportunity to rub elbows with some of the most powerful leaders on the planet. He’ll have the chance to shake hands with U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, though it’s unclear whether he’ll meet privately with either leader, whose nations are both currently embroiled in diplomatic spats with Beijing.