Rio de Janeiro: Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the 17th BRICS summit scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6-7, marking his first absence from the meeting. Prime Minister Li Qiang is expected to represent China at the summit instead.

According to Anadolu Agency, Beijing has informed the Brazilian government about Xi's absence, citing a scheduling conflict. Despite Xi's consistent attendance at previous BRICS summits, this year he will not be present. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has yet to release an official statement regarding the reason for Xi's absence. Spokesman Guo Jiakun indicated that more information would be provided in due course.

Xi Jinping has met Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva twice in the past year, first at the G20 summit in Brasilia last November, and again in May at the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing. His absence from the upcoming BRICS summit marks a significant deviation from his usual diplomatic engagements.

The BRICS group, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, recently expanded its full membership to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates. Vietnam also joined as the 10th BRICS partner country, alongside Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. This expansion is part of the bloc's strategy to increase its global influence, as formalized at the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024.