Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds during the closing session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on March 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

       BEIJING (Kyodo) -- China has confirmed that President Xi Jinping will not visit Italy to participate in the Group of 20 summit meeting this weekend, with state-run media reporting Friday that he is scheduled to make an online speech to the gathering.

       China's announcement means that the first in-person summit between Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden, who is slated to attend the two-day G-20 meeting in Rome from Saturday, will not materialize on the sidelines, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

       Earlier this month, the United States said it had agreed with China that the two leaders would hold a virtual summit by the end of the year, as Sino-U.S. tensions have shown few signs of easing over several issues including Taiwan.

       Xi and Biden have spoken by phone twice since the U.S. president took office in January.

       After Biden said last week that the United States is committed to defending Taiwan if China mounts an attack on the self-ruled democratic island, relations between Washington and Beijing have become more fragile, foreign affairs experts say.

       China and Taiwan have been governed separately since they split in 1949 as the result of a civil war. The mainland considers the island a renegade province awaiting reunification by force if necessary.

       Font Size S M L Print Timeline 0