China skipped a private G20 meeting in India on Sunday. The meeting took place in Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh, a northeastern state claimed by China as part of Tibet, according to reports.
India has previously rejected such claims, claiming that Arunachal is an integral part of the country.
Over 50 delegates attended the meeting, which was one of dozens planned across 50 major cities in the run-up to the G20 summit in Delhi in September. The G20 presidency is currently held by India.
It is unclear whether China has officially protested the meeting with India.
Neither the Foreign Ministry nor China has responded.
The weekend meeting was declared private, and no media coverage was permitted.
The meeting, titled “Research Innovation Initiative, Gathering,” was organised by the Science and Technology department.
The delegates also visited the Arunachal Pradesh legislative assembly and a Buddhist monastery in Itanagar. Cultural troupes greeted them at the airport upon their arrival. According to officials, they also sampled local cuisine.
Last December, Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the state’s Tawang sector, escalating a months-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Then-Defense Minister Rajnath Singh accused China of attempting to “unilaterally” alter the status quo along the LAC.
