Xi Jinping to skip Brics Summit in Rio, Li Qiang to lead Chinese delegation

Xi Jinping's absence marks a first since taking office; Brazil expresses disappointment as Premier Li Qiang prepares to represent China at the July 6-7 Brics Summit in Rio de Janeiro

Chinese President Xi Jinping will not be attending the upcoming Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro, marking the first time he will miss the annual gathering of major emerging economies, the South China Morning Post reported. 

Premier Li Qiang is set to represent China at the summit, continuing the precedent from the 2023 G20 summit in India, where he also led the Chinese delegation in place of Xi. Premier Li is expected to arrive in Brazil late next week and remain in Rio de Janeiro for the duration of the summit, which will be held on July 6 and 7. 

 

Beijing has informed the Brazilian government that Xi’s absence is due to a scheduling conflict, the news report said. Chinese sources involved in the summit’s preparations pointed out that Xi had already met Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva twice within the past year — once during a state visit to Brasília in November 2023, and again in May during the China-Celac forum in Beijing, the news report said.   

 

A rare miss from Chinese President Xi Jinping

Xi has consistently participated in Brics summits since becoming China’s top leader. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, he joined virtually — first in 2020 when Russia hosted, and again in 2021 when China held the summit. In 2023, although Xi was expected to speak at the Brics summit in South Africa, he sent Commerce Minister Wang Wentao at the last minute. No explanation was given at the time. 

Brazil’s foreign ministry declined to comment on “internal deliberations of foreign delegations” when asked about the matter. However, Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, told Brazilian daily Folha de S.Paulo that “information about participation in the summit will be shared at the appropriate time”. He added that China supports Brazil’s Brics presidency and aims to “promote deeper cooperation” among the member states. 

“In a volatile and turbulent world, Brics nations maintain their strategic resolve and work together for global peace, stability and development,” Guo said.   

 

Brazilian disappointment over Xi Jinping's no-show

In Brasília, officials have expressed clear disappointment over Xi’s decision. A source told The Post that Lula’s visit to Beijing in May was “a gesture of goodwill” and had come with “the expectation that the Chinese president would reciprocate” by attending the summit in Rio, the South China Morning Post said. 

Some speculate that Xi skipped the event because Lula invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a state dinner after the summit, which may have made Xi feel like a “supporting actor.” 

Questions about Xi’s attendance had been circulating since February. During a visit to Beijing, Lula’s special adviser for international affairs, Celso Amorim, discussed the issue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. 

At the time, Amorim acknowledged the increasing difficulty of international travel for heads of state but said he had urged China to consider Xi’s presence essential. “I said to them, ‘Brics without China is not Brics’,” Amorim said. He noted that former Chinese President Hu Jintao had once flown to Brazil for the first Brics summit despite a major earthquake in China. “He stayed only one day, but he came.” 

Amorim emphasised the importance of Xi’s participation in the context of global instability, pointing to the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organisation. “It’s especially important now,” he said.