Chinese President Xi Jinping might skip the upcoming BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next month. If this happens, it will be his first missed summit since taking office 12 years ago. According to the South China Morning Post, based in Hong Kong, President Jinping will not attend the BRICS summit in Brazil.
China Irked by Modi's Honors!
In President Jinping's place, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend the summit scheduled for July 6-7. Reports suggest that a state dinner is being organized for Prime Minister Narendra Modi during this time. Speculation is rife that Chinese leaders are displeased by the state dinner hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for Prime Minister Modi after the summit and hence seem uninterested in the summit's schedule.
BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The group has recently expanded to include five additional members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The last BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, became significant as PM Modi and President Jinping met and revived bilateral ties, previously cold due to the eastern Ladakh standoff.
Could There Be an SCO Meeting Instead?
After their meeting, both sides agreed to resume bilateral dialogues. Several meetings have been conducted in recent months to normalize relations. If President Jinping misses the Rio de Janeiro summit, their next potential meeting could be during the SCO summit in China, assuming Prime Minister Modi attends.
Currently chaired by China, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) plans to host its summit in the coming months. News of President Jinping skipping the BRICS summit came from Brazilian officials, who told media that Beijing informed Brazil of Jinping's scheduling conflict.
China's Plans Still Unclear
During a media briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun declined to comment on President Jinping's decision. He did promise timely information about China's absence from the BRICS summit. The ministry has confirmed China's support for Brazil's presidency of BRICS.
It remains unclear why President Jinping decided to stay out of the Rio BRICS summit, but Brazil's decision not to support the billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) led to this unease in Beijing. After India, Brazil is the second BRICS nation to avoid joining the BRI.
