‘Picture says it all’: Joe Biden ‘missing’ from G20 Summit photo as PM Modi, China's Xi Jinping take center stage

At the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, a notable absence raised questions about President Joe Biden's standing on the global stage. As world leaders gathered for the official group photo, Biden, at 81, was missing in action, leaving Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to pose in the front row.

As reported by AFP, while American officials said Biden’s absence to "logistical issues," some observers noted it as a clear signal that the U.S. president’s influence may be waning as he seeks global support on issues ranging from Ukraine to climate change before a potential Trump return to the White House.

"They took the photo early before all the leaders had arrived. So a number of the leaders weren't actually there," a US official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

At the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, President Joe Biden's absence from the official group photo and a seemingly misplaced walk down the red carpet underscored his increasingly sidelined position on the global stage.

While US officials downplayed the incidents, including Biden's deviation from the red carpet route, the fact that the front-row photo featured the leaders of BRICS nations—countries positioning themselves as rivals to Western influence—added to concerns about Biden’s diminishing influence, especially with Donald Trump's potential return to power.

Earlier, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru, US President Joe Biden was relegated to the back corner of the annual family photo, with Chinese President Xi Jinping enjoying a prominent front-and-centre spot next to host country President Dina Boluarte.

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As reported by the New York Post, while the order of world leaders in the photo is typically alphabetical by country, past APEC photos have shown that positions are not fixed. For example, in 2017, then-President Donald Trump took centre positions in two family photos during the APEC summit in Vietnam, the only such summit he attended.

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“They probably should have invited President-elect [Donald] Trump down,” she said, adding that Trump would likely have been front and center with Xi.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) took a harsher tone, calling Biden the “lamest of lame ducks” and stating that the photo symbolized his presidency. “A picture is worth a thousand words—and this picture says it all,” Van Drew remarked, implying that Biden's leadership has become ineffective in the eyes of global leaders.

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"It's an embarrassment to our country — under Joe Biden, America is weaker, our enemies emboldened, and the world less peaceful," said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY). "Jan. 20 can’t come fast enough," he added, as reported by New York Post.

China-US talks

Biden told Xi that the two leaders have not always agreed, but their discussions have been “frank” and “candid.”, reported Reuters.

“Two months before Trump returns to the White House, U.S. officials see magnified risks of conflict during the transition. Biden told Xi that maintaining leader-to-leader talks would be vital even after he left office,” said Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

Also Read: Latam currencies slip in volatile session; investors eye APEC summit

Meanwhile, Trump’s presidential campaign has indicated a more confrontational approach to China, with the president-elect pledging to impose blanket 60% tariffs on US imports of Chinese goods as part of his “America First” trade agenda. This move is expected to escalate tensions, as Beijing strongly opposes such tariffs.

Additionally, Trump plans to appoint several hawkish figures on China to key roles in his administration, including US Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state and Representative Mike Waltz as national security adviser.

(With inputs from agencies)