For the first time, China's President Xi Jinping will not attend the Group of 20 summit, Reuters and others are reporting based on multiple diplomatic sources. This is already being anticipated as a major setback for a summit beset by unity problems and is a deeply symbolic snub given Xi's prominence at the BRICS summit in South Africa only last week.

Clearly, President Xi has downgraded the G20's importance in favor of the BRICS+ format at a moment the 'alternative to Western alignment' bloc is set to double with the admission of six new members.

Crucially, Xi hasn't missed an in-person G20 summit since he became president in 2013. FT has cited Zhang Baohui, professor at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, to point out that he "never missed a G20 meeting before because it's a vital occasion for China to try to shape the global narrative."

"G20 offers China that platform to outcompete the American messages," Zhang added. Instead, Premier Li Qiang will represent China at the Indian capital where other heads of state will gather, including US President Joe Biden.

FT underscores that "Xi's move to skip a gathering of G20 leaders for the first time comes after he dominated last week's Brics summit, where he oversaw plans to expand the developing nations club that Beijing sees as a rival to US-led western groupings."

Over 20 world leaders will convene for the G20, with Xi's presence up until Thursday being so "assured" that Western headlines just within the last 48 hours were still reporting, "Biden, Xi, Erdogan among 25+ world leaders to be present at Delhi high table."