Xi Jinping to Miss First BRICS Summit Since 2013 in Rio July 6-7; Premier Li Leads, Putin Attends Virtually

Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the 2025 BRICS Summit scheduled for July 6-7 in Rio de Janeiro, marking his first absence from the gathering since taking office in 2013. The Chinese government informed Brazil of Xi's non-attendance, citing a scheduling conflict as the official reason. Premier Li Qiang, who recently attended the G20 summit in India, is expected to lead the Chinese delegation at the summit. This development coincides with reports suggesting Beijing's dissatisfaction with Brazil hosting a state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the event, which may have influenced Xi's decision.

Alongside Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin will also not attend in person but is expected to participate virtually. The BRICS summit in Rio will bring together leaders from the bloc's 11 member and partner countries to discuss global governance reforms and cooperation among Global South nations, amid cautious attention to U.S. President Donald Trump's policies. Despite the absence of Xi and Putin, analysts do not view this as a sign of retreat from the BRICS grouping by China.