Brics summit: China's Xi to skip summit for first time in 12 years; Gordon Chang hints at Jinping's losing influence

Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the upcoming Brics Summit in Brazil, marking the first time in 12 years that the Chinese leader will be absent from the annual gathering of major emerging economies.

The two-day summit, taking place in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7, 2025, comes at a point when Xi’s absence is fueling speculation about internal political shifts in China.

Gordon Chang, a noted expert on US-China relations, said Xi’s absence may reflect deeper troubles within China’s political hierarchy. “This is another hint that Xi Jinping is losing influence in China’s capital,” Chang posted on X.

This is another hint that Xi Jinping is losing influence in China’s capital. https://t.co/8x5GUGsfWM

— Gordon G. Chang (@GordonGChang) June 25, 2025

However China has attributed Xi’s no-show to a “scheduling conflict” and pointed to his earlier meeting this year with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as reported by the South China Morning Post. In Xi’s place, Chinese Premier Li Qiang will lead the delegation, continuing a recent pattern of the Chinese President limiting his appearances on the global stage.

Xi will not be the only high-profile absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, a close ally of Xi within the group, will participate only via video link. Brazil is a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes in Ukraine and would be legally obliged to detain Putin were he to attend in person.

The dual absence of Xi and Putin will shift spotlight on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi will attend both the Brics summit and is on a state visit to Brazil, positioning India as a central figure in this year’s summit.

Brics, originally formed in 2009 with Brazil, Russia, India, and China and joined by South Africa in 2010, seeks to reassert itself as a counterbalance to the Group of Seven (G7). The bloc has recently expanded to include five new members — Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — in a push to enhance its representation of the Global South.