Xi Jinping Delegates UN General Assembly Appearance to Premier Li Qiang Amid Evolving Leadership Style

Chinese Premier Li Qiang represents China at the UN General Assembly

Chinese Premier Li Qiang

It would have been expected for Chinese leader Xi Jinping to address the UN General Assembly during this 80th anniversary year of the United Nations. However, he has chosen not to attend.

Instead, Premier Li Qiang is delivering China's address at this week's annual gathering, highlighting Xi's recent pattern of reducing international travel and delegating responsibilities to trusted officials. This shift suggests Xi's leadership approach is evolving into a more detached yet equally powerful style, elevating Li's visibility on the global stage.

Xi's absence is somewhat unexpected. China consistently emphasizes the UN's significance as a counterbalance to what Beijing views as American dominance in international relations. Xi addressed the assembly in 2015 during the UN's 70th anniversary and delivered a video address in 2020 for the 75th anniversary amid COVID-19 restrictions.

The current state of US-China relations may have influenced this decision. Both nations desire a meeting between Xi and US President Trump, but the timing might be premature with ongoing trade negotiations yielding little progress.

Trump recently stated they would meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea in late October, though China has not yet confirmed this arrangement.

Xi, who has led China for 13 years, was previously an enthusiastic global traveler during his first seven years in power. His international engagements included a ceremonial carriage ride to Buckingham Palace in 2015 and a meeting with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 2017.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered this pattern. Post-pandemic, Xi has notably reduced his foreign travel. He was absent from the 2023 G20 leaders meeting in India and this year's BRICS summit in Brazil—noteworthy because China considers BRICS an important counterweight to American global influence. Li represented China at these events instead.

This shift reflects changing priorities and circumstances.

Earlier in his leadership, Xi focused on enhancing China's global presence and influence, traveling extensively while launching initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Having achieved these objectives, he has become more selective about his international appearances. Meanwhile, China's growing importance ensures foreign leaders continue visiting Beijing to meet with Xi. European Union leaders traveled to China in July, despite protocol suggesting the summit should have been hosted in Europe.

"My assessment is that Xi believes the world should come to Beijing, similar to how emissaries historically came to acknowledge the emperor's authority," observed June Teufel Dreyer, a China politics specialist at the University of Miami.

Expectations were modest when Li was appointed premier, China's second-highest leadership position, in 2023.

He had previously served as Shanghai's top official during a controversial two-month COVID-19 lockdown that disrupted the city and triggered protests. His subsequent promotion to senior leadership demonstrated how loyalty is prioritized under Xi's administration, according to Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore.

As Xi reduces his international engagements, Li could become an essential intermediary for governments and businesses seeking to engage with China, noted Neil Thomas, a Chinese politics fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

During the UN gathering this week, Li has held discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker.

Thomas described Li as "an incredibly important person" to engage with at the UN meeting. "He's acting on Xi's behalf and will be able to relay messages between Xi and the world."

In a significant policy shift, Li announced Tuesday that China would no longer seek developing country advantages in global trade negotiations. However, Xi reserved the high-profile climate issue for himself, announcing China's 2035 environmental goals via video message on Wednesday.

Thomas suggests age may be a factor in these changes, as the 72-year-old Xi—who shows no indication of stepping down—seeks to maintain his health.

"I believe Xi Jinping's decision to travel less is strategic, designed to conserve his energy as he ages, ultimately strengthening his control by remaining in Beijing more frequently and maintaining better health," Thomas explained.

He interprets the reduced travel as part of a broader transition where Xi governs in what Thomas calls a "more oracular leadership style." Increasingly, Xi delegates policy implementation to subordinates.

This approach became viable after Xi filled the Communist Party leadership with loyalists like Li during the 2022 reorganization, eliminating remaining opposition. By all indications, ultimate authority remains firmly in Xi's hands.

"He's delegating responsibilities," Wu observed. "This isn't decentralization or structural change. He's simply directing others to act on his behalf."