China’s Xi to skip BRICS summit in Brazil for first time — sources

Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the BRICS summit scheduled for July 6–7 in Rio de Janeiro, sources familiar with the matter told the South China Morning Post. It will be the first time Xi has missed the annual meeting of the bloc.

Premier Li Qiang is expected to lead the Chinese delegation, as he did at the G20 summit in New Delhi in 2023.

Chinese officials cited “scheduling issues” and noted that Xi has met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva twice in the past year — during a state visit to Brazil and at the China-CELAC forum in Beijing.

Brazilian officials reportedly expressed disappointment over Xi’s absence. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said participation details would be announced “in due course” and reaffirmed China’s support for Brazil’s BRICS presidency.