Indonesia’s leader invites Chinese counterpart to G20 summit

BEIJING (AP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo has formally invited his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to the Group of 20 summit in Bali this fall although it’s unclear whether he would attend in person. The invitation came during a meeting in Beijing where the two discussed issues ranging from trade to maritime cooperation. Xi has not left China since January 2020 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 in mid-November. 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.