Xi Jinping drops out of the BRICS Summit for the first time in 12 years after being asked to a state dinner by PM Modi.

China’s president, Xi Jinping, will not be able to attend next week’s 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
This will be his first absence from the yearly high-level event since taking office in 2013. According to multiple diplomatic insiders, the information was first shared by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).”

The Chinese delegation at the July 6 and 7 meeting is expected to be led by Li Qiang, Xi’s close adviser and the country’s current premier. In 2023, he also represented China at the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

Brazilians claim they dislike the change.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva flew to Beijing in May “as a gesture of goodwill” and “in the hope that the Chinese president would do the same” by attending the Rio summit in person, a senior official in Brasilia told the SCMP.

 

There is a “scheduling conflict,” according to China. Brazil is ignored
A schedule conflict has been officially declared by Beijing. However, Brazilian officials say this could be due to other factors. According to SCMP, some Chinese believe that the invitation to a state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have been the decisive factor. “Amid the heightened focus on Modi and Lula, one diplomat remarked that Xi could be perceived as playing a secondary role.”
For a leader accustomed to being the center of attention at international gatherings, the symbolism may hold significance.

Additionally, according to Chinese officials, Xi and Lula have already met twice in less than a year: in November 2023 during a state visit to Brasília and in May 2024 during the China-CELAC forum in Beijing. They claim that because of this frequency, face-to-face meetings are no longer as necessary.

However, it appears that Brazil views its absence as a diplomatic snub. Celso Amorim, Lula’s special assistant for international affairs, spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi about the issue as early as February. Speaking to the SCMP, Amorim emphasized, “Without Xi Jinping, BRICS wouldn’t be BRICS.” He recalled the 2010 summit in Brazil, noting, “Even Hu Jintao attended—though it was just for a day, he still made the effort to come.” He went even though there was a huge earthquake in China.

Strategic optics and the Modi factor 
Diplomats say a lot of the anxiety stems from the perception that Modi is rapidly taking center stage at these international gatherings. An invitation to a state supper in Lula’s homeland has reinforced that impression.
Now, it’s not just about who shows up; it’s also about who gets photographed making toasts, shaking hands, and giving speeches.

Modi and Xi Jinping have had a tense relationship since the 2020 Himalayan border incidents. Although the two met at the BRICS Summit in Russia in October 2024, their relationship remains antagonistic. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, which Beijing will host later this year, may be the next opportunity for the two presidents to meet if Xi does not travel to Rio.

Unofficial dissatisfaction and official silence

Brazil’s foreign ministry has remained silent on Xi’s absence, stating it does not comment on the internal decisions of other delegations.
But people are obviously furious.

Xi Jinping, on the other hand, has repeatedly stated that it supports Brazil’s leadership of the BRICS.
Brazil’s foreign ministry has remained silent on Xi’s absence, stating it does not comment on the internal decisions of other delegations. Beijing wants to “promote deeper cooperation” among the members of the BRICS, he added.

“The BRICS countries remain committed to their strategic objectives and collaborate to promote peace, stability, and development worldwide in an unstable and changing world,” Guo added.

A larger group means a larger test.
Over the past 12 months, the BRICS group has grown considerably. In 2009, it was called BRIC, and South Africa joined in 2010. Full membership has now been granted to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Fifteen more countries, from Uzbekistan to Bolivia, have been invited to join as partners.
However, growth complicates matters.

Xi Jinping’s likely absence may be a sign that the traditional core members are starting to separate, as China and India are trying to define their places in the world in different ways. As it attempts to strike a balance between the two sides, Brazil is feeling the pressure.