China’s President Xi Jinping is unlikely to attend COP26 in person

By: Ryan Oswald, Staff Reporter, The Pawprint

UK Prime Minister Borris Johnson has been warned by officials that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not be attending the summit in November. 

President Xi’s attendance at COP26 has been long in doubt, it’s thought that he hasn’t left China since early 2020.

Government sources say that Chinese officials have not given a definitive answer on the President’s plan, as he could easily change his mind at the last minute. 

In September, Chinese officials told Italian diplomats that Xi did not plan on attending the G20 meeting in Rome, citing Covid regulations as a reason to limit travel.

On Friday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed he would attend the meeting come November. Australia, a large producer of coal and gas, is ranked poorly for its climate policies and emissions reductions.