BRICS Nations to Meet Without Xi, Putin in Rio Summit

AFP/APP

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: BRICS leaders will convene in Rio de Janeiro starting Sunday, but the summit will be notably marked by the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is skipping the annual gathering for the first time in 12 years.

The BRICS bloc—often seen as a Beijing-led counterweight to Western dominance—meets amid looming and costly tariff tensions with the United States. Originally established two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the group has become increasingly dominated by China, whose economic growth has far outpaced its peers.

Beijing has not disclosed why Xi will not attend, though his absence has sparked speculation.

“The simplest explanation may hold the most power—Xi recently hosted Brazilian President Lula in Beijing,” said Ryan Hass, a former China director at the US National Security Council, now at the Brookings Institution.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, indicted for war crimes, will also skip the summit but is expected to participate via video link. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian—whose country is recovering from a recent 12-day conflict with Israel—will also join virtually.

Hass suggested that Xi’s decision may have been influenced by multiple factors, including the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be Brazil’s guest of honor and is set to receive a state lunch.

“Xi does not want to appear upstaged by Modi,” he said, adding that Premier Li Qiang will lead the Chinese delegation instead.

Xi’s no-show is seen as a blow to host President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is positioning Brazil as a more influential global player. Brazil is slated to host the G20 summit, the BRICS summit, and COP30 climate talks—all ahead of a highly competitive presidential election in 2026, where Lula is expected to seek a historic fourth term.

Cautious Approach

For the leaders attending the summit in Rio—nicknamed the cidade maravilhosa or “marvelous city”—economic issues will dominate the agenda.

Lula on Friday renewed his call for an alternative to the US dollar in BRICS trade.

“I know it’s complicated. There are political obstacles,” he said at a BRICS banking forum. “But if we don’t find a new formula, we’ll finish the 21st century the same way we started the 20th.”

However, with many BRICS members, including China, entangled in delicate trade negotiations with the United States, few are eager to escalate tensions. US President Donald Trump has warned that starting Friday, countries will receive formal notices of new tariffs on their exports to the US, and he has threatened 100 percent tariffs on those who challenge the dollar’s global dominance.

“We’re expecting a summit with a cautious tone,” said Marta Fernandez, director of the BRICS Policy Center at Pontifical Catholic University in Rio. “It will be difficult to mention the United States by name in the final communiqué.”

This is especially true for China, she noted: “This is not the right time to provoke more friction” with Washington.

Expansion Brings Influence—And Friction

The original BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, and China—have since expanded to include South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia.

The group now represents nearly half of the world’s population and 40 percent of global GDP, giving it considerable potential weight on the international stage.

But the expansion has also brought new challenges, particularly in reaching consensus on contentious global issues such as relations with the U.S. and conflicts in the Middle East.

“This expansion makes it all the more difficult to build a strong consensus,” said Fernandez.

BRICS members failed to issue a unified statement following the Iran-Israel conflict and subsequent U.S. strikes, reflecting what Oliver Stuenkel of the Getulio Vargas Foundation called their “diverging interests.”

Nevertheless, Brazil remains hopeful that a common stance can be reached during the summit, even on sensitive matters.

“BRICS countries have historically spoken with one voice on major global issues,” said Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. “There’s no reason that shouldn’t be the case now—especially on the Middle East.”

Other key topics on the summit agenda include artificial intelligence and reforms in global governance.

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