Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend this year’s United Nations General Assembly, marking another sign of his retreat from international travel. Instead, Premier Li Qiang is representing Beijing at the high-profile gathering, where he has announced a significant shift in China’s trade policy.
Li told delegates that China will no longer seek the benefits reserved for developing countries in global trade negotiations — a move seen as symbolic of the country’s growing economic clout. The announcement comes amid tense U.S.-China relations and stalled trade talks, with a possible Xi–Trump meeting expected at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea in late October.
Xi Steps Back, Li Steps Forward
Xi, 72, has sharply reduced his overseas trips since the COVID-19 pandemic, skipping the G20 in India in 2023 and the BRICS summit in Brazil this year. Analysts say his reduced travel reflects both age and strategy, allowing him to conserve energy while keeping a firm grip on power in Beijing.
By contrast, Li — promoted to premier in 2023 despite criticism of his handling of Shanghai’s COVID lockdown — has become increasingly visible on the world stage. This week he met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, positioning himself as Beijing’s chief interlocutor with foreign leaders.
«Li is acting on Xi’s behalf and can relay messages between Xi and the world,» said Neil Thomas of the Asia Society Policy Institute.
Delegation Without Decentralization
Experts stress that Xi’s reduced presence abroad does not signal a weakening of his control. Instead, by stacking top Communist Party positions with loyalists like Li, he has ensured that delegation strengthens rather than dilutes his authority.
«Xi is delegating, not decentralizing,» said Alfred Wu of the National University of Singapore. «Ultimate power remains firmly in his hands.»
Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Uzbekistan and the United States have signed a memorandum of cooperation in nuclear energy, the US Embassy in Tashkent has reported.
