Why Did Xi Jinping Skip Modi’s BRICS Dinner?
News Desk
New Delhi: Chinese President Xi Jinping held a significant bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi but did not attend a dinner hosted by Modi for BRICS leaders later the same evening.
Xi’s absence from the dinner attracted attention as Russian President Vladimir Putin, other BRICS leaders and several senior Indian officials attended the event.
According to Indian media reports, no official explanation was given for Xi’s absence. However, a source familiar with the matter said the Chinese president had returned to his hotel to rest after a busy day of summit engagements.
Xi arrived in New Delhi to attend the BRICS summit and met Modi during his first visit to India since 2019. The visit marked a significant diplomatic engagement between the two countries after nearly seven years.
The Chinese president’s decision to skip the dinner, held only a few hours after his meeting with Modi, sparked speculation in some quarters. However, Hindustan Times reported that it would be premature to interpret his absence as a diplomatic protest or as a sign of disagreement arising from his meeting with the Indian prime minister. No definitive reason for the absence has been established.
According to The Indian Express, Xi was not the only high-profile guest who missed the dinner. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also did not attend, having left for the United Arab Emirates after participating in the BRICS summit earlier in the day.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other BRICS leaders attended the dinner hosted by Modi.
Senior Indian officials present at the event included Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, several state chief ministers and other prominent figures also attended.
The BRICS summit is being held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, with leaders and representatives from 11 member countries and 10 partner nations participating.
