Indonesia's leader invites Chinese counterpart to G20 summit

BEIJING (AP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday formally invited Xi Jinping to the Group of 20 summit in Bali this fall, although it's unclear whether the Chinese leader would attend in person.

The invitation came during a meeting between the two in Beijing, where they discussed issues ranging from trade to maritime cooperation.

“President Xi expressed his thanks and wished complete success for the summit,” China's state broadcaster CCTV said, without giving further details. The summit is to be held on the Indonesian resort island on Nov. 15-16.

Xi has not left China since 2019 because of the COVID-19 outbreak, choosing instead to attend major events via video. It is also unclear whether he will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Bangkok shortly after the G-20 summit.

The G-20 is considered a valued grouping for China because it includes not only the rich Western countries but also the voices of major middle-income nations such as China, India and Brazil.

State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi have acted as Xi’s proxies over the recent years, even while China’s foreign and economic policies, including its tacit support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict, have put its relations with the U.S., Europe and other countries under heavy stress.

Indonesia and China enjoy generally positive ties, although Jakarta has expressed concern about Chinese encroachment on its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety.

Widodo arrived in Beijing on Monday night on the first stop of a trip that will also take him to Japan and South Korea later this week. A statement from Widodo’s office said he described China as Indonesia’s “comprehensive strategic partner.”

“We must fill this partnership...