Post by : Jyoti Gupta

Photo:Reuters

China has confirmed that Premier Li Qiang will represent the country at the upcoming BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 5 to 8. This marks the first time in 12 years that President Xi Jinping will not attend the annual meeting of the emerging economies bloc.

The announcement was made on Wednesday by a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, who said Li would attend the 17th BRICS Summit at the invitation of Brazil. However, no reason was given for Xi’s absence from the high-level gathering, which he has consistently attended since assuming office in 2013.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to be present at the summit, which will be the first to include the expanded BRICS membership. The bloc, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, welcomed five new members this year—Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The previous BRICS summit, held in Kazan, Russia, was significant for bringing Modi and Xi together for their first meeting in four years, following a tense period in India-China relations due to the border standoff in eastern Ladakh. The meeting led to the resumption of several bilateral dialogue mechanisms aimed at easing tensions.

With Xi not attending the Brazil summit, the next potential opportunity for a face-to-face meeting between the Chinese and Indian leaders could be at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which China is set to host later this year.

China, as the current chair of the SCO, has yet to announce the exact dates for the summit. If Modi participates, it could offer another platform for India and China to continue high-level diplomatic engagement.

Commenting on the upcoming BRICS meeting, the Chinese spokesperson described the group as a vital platform for cooperation among emerging and developing nations. This year’s summit will also feature participation from Indonesia and 10 other partner countries, alongside several international and regional organisations.

China says it looks forward to strengthening strategic ties within the BRICS framework, supporting multilateralism, promoting shared development goals, and enhancing global governance through cooperation.