China’s Xi Jinping skips BRICS Summit for first time; Vladimir Putin attends online — Here’s why

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin skipped the 17th BRICS Summit in Brazil’s Rio De Janeiro on Sunday, July 6.

While Xi Jinping sent China PM Li Qiang to attend the Summit; Vladimir Putin is attending online due to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.

As an ICC member, Brazil would be legally obligated to arrest Putin if he set foot on its territory. But why was Xi Jinping absent?

China’s economic challenges in the focus

Xi Jinping is staying away from the Rio de Janeiro summit to concentrate on managing China’s economic challenges.

According to CNN, China is grappling with steep economic challenges amid ongoing trade frictions with the US, with its leaders busy charting a course for the five years ahead of a key political conclave expected this year, and Xi maybe prioritising domestic planning over international travel.

Brian Wong, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, told CNN that sending Li Qiang should not be seen as a diplomatic downgrade. “There is much in BRICS+ that fits Xi’s foreign policy worldview,” he said.

China’s absence comes amid BRICS expansion

For the first time in more than one decade of rule, Xi was absent from the BRICS which owes its acronym to early members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and since 2024 has expanded to include Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran.

Now with 11 members, the bloc has more than doubled in size. Some new members have injected fresh divisions into the BRICS, which was already struggling for coherence and split between democracies and autocracies, reported Financial Times.

Brazilian first lady’s faux pas behind Xi’s absence?

According to The Times, another possibility behind Xi Jinping skipping the BRICS Summit could be that the Chinese leader is unhappy with Brazil first lady Rosangela Lula da Silva after an extraordinary turn of events over a month ago in Beijing.

Xi, however, has not officially stated the reason for his absence.

During a state visit to China, Brazilian President Lula and First Lady Janja attended a banquet with Xi Jinping. Just before dessert, the first lady raised her hand and addressed Xi, which was an ‘unusual break of protocol’ reported The Times.

She was reportedly critical of the Chinese social media company, TikTok, whose algorithm, she claimed, favoured right-wing views and was potentially harmful to children.

LiveMint does not endorse the claim made by The Times.

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Trump takes aim at Elon Musk for forming a new political party

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump at the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out against Elon Musk after he formed a new political party, calling the move “ridiculous,” and saying the tech billionaire had gone “completely off

Exclusive | Australia’s Albanese to address Darwin Port sale on China visit

When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in China next week for his second official visit, he will have more than the typical diplomatic niceties to discuss with President Xi Jinping. A major task on Albanese’s agenda, besides routine topics like trade, will be to explain his country’s stance on Chinese investment – in particular,

Celebrities Setting Boundaries and Speaking Their Minds

Celebrities are drawing lines and boundaries, with some of Hollywood’s biggest names speaking their minds and pushing back against criticism. Travis Kelce made it clear he won’t be pumping up to Kanye West‘s music in the locker room, seemingly reigniting girlfriend Taylor Swift‘s feud with the rapper, while Taylor herself appears to have put that

Vladimir Putin Details How Russia Helped US Achieve Independence

Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that he discussed his country’s role in helping America win its independence during a call with President Donald Trump on July 3 in a bid to highlight the history of cooperation between their nations, according to Russian news agency Tass. Newsweek has reached out to the White House outside of

Access Denied

Access Denied You don’t have permission to access “http://www.dallasnews.com/news/2025/07/06/amid-grief-in-flood-ravaged-kerr-county-high-profile-texans-and-celebrities-share-sorrow/” on this server. Reference #18.87753617.1751838464.187dbef7 https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.87753617.1751838464.187dbef7

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x