Why Was Xi a No Show at BRICS?

Leaders from the BRICS group of countries pose for a family photo during a summit gathering in Rio de Janeiro on July 6, 2025. Image via @LulaOficial.

There’s been a lot of speculation as to why Chinese President Xi Jinping opted to stay home from a BRICS summit for the first time and instead sent Chinese Premier Li Qiang in his place.

Some suggested that it was because Xi didn’t want to be upstaged by Indian PM Narendra Modi, who combined his attendance at the summit with a state visit that also included a special dinner hosted in his honor by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

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by Eric Olander

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