by Our Correspondent in New Delhi
Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS leaders and other delegates attending the Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, according to news agency PTI, which cited sources familiar with the matter.
Xi arrived in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon to attend the BRICS Summit and held a bilateral meeting with Modi. His absence from the high-profile dinner was notable, particularly as Russian President Vladimir Putin and other BRICS leaders attended the event alongside several Indian Union ministers and senior political figures.
The reason for Xi’s absence was not immediately known. However, a PTI report suggested that the Chinese president returned to his hotel to rest. The unexplained decision came on the same day as his talks with Modi, in which the two leaders sought to emphasise dialogue and restraint in managing differences between their countries.
Another prominent absentee was Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, who reportedly departed for home after attending the summit earlier in the day.
The dinner was attended by Union ministers including Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and several chief ministers, including Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh, Devendra Fadnavis of Maharashtra, Suvendu Adhikari of West Bengal and Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam, also attended.
Xi’s absence therefore stood out against a gathering that brought together senior political figures and leaders participating in the BRICS Summit. Yet there was no indication in the supplied account that the decision was linked to the substance of his discussions with Modi.
During their meeting on the sidelines of the summit, Modi and Xi said that “differences should not become disputes” and committed themselves to “a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question”.
According to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Modi stressed that “both sides must be guided by three mutuals: mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest”. The text noted that these “three mutuals” have formed part of Delhi’s red lines over the last five years.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, released its own statement on the talks, quoting Xi as saying that “China and India are partners rather than rivals” and that the two countries provide “development opportunities rather than threats to each other”.
Xi also called for greater balance in addressing bilateral economic concerns. The Chinese president said the two sides should “address each other’s economic and trade concerns in a balanced way and promote the sound and steady development of economic and trade relations”.
The contrast between the diplomatic messages exchanged during the bilateral meeting and Xi’s absence from the evening dinner adds an unusual element to his visit. While the supplied information does not establish a political reason for his decision to skip the event, the absence occurred against the backdrop of discussions focused on managing differences, resolving the boundary question and maintaining economic and trade relations.
For now, the stated explanation remains that Xi returned to his hotel to rest, while the precise reason for his absence from Modi’s gala dinner remains unknown.
