The decision was up to China if it wanted to be a spoiler.

After China’s leader, Xi Jinping, confirmed he would not attend the meeting, he made his remarks.

On 9 and 10 September, Delhi will host the G20 summit.

Mr Xi’s absence has not been attributed to any specific reason by either India or China. China’s premier Li Qiang will lead China’s delegation to the summit, according to Beijing.

The relationship between India and China has deteriorated since 2020, when their troops clashed in the Galwan valley in Ladakh.

As a result of a disputed 3,440km (2,100 mile) border along the Himalayas – which is poorly demarcated, soldiers on both sides often come face-to-face.

China released an “official map” last week, which India said claimed its territory. It sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries. In response, Beijing advised Delhi not to “overinterpret” the issue.

A reporter asked Mr Sullivan if tensions between India and China would overshadow the summit. He replied, “It is up to China”.

China has the option of playing spoiler if it wants to,” he said.

In addition, he said that the summit’s chair – India – the US, as well as “every other member” of the G20, would encourage China to engage constructively on climate, multilateral development bank reform, debt relief, and technology and to put geopolitics aside so as to focus on solving problems for developing nations.

In order to discuss the global economy, the G20 – or Group of Twenty – meets regularly.

The G20 countries account for 75% of world trade and 85% of world economic output. Globally, they are home to two-thirds of the population.