Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for leaders attending the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. His absence stood out as Xi is visiting India for the first time in seven years.
Neither the Chinese nor Indian governments gave a reason for Xi's absence. However, a source cited by news agency PTI said the Chinese president had returned to his hotel to rest.
Xi arrived in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon after leaving China in the morning. He attended the BRICS Summit, which began around 2 pm, and later met PM Modi on the sidelines of the summit. His meeting with PM Modi on the sidelines of the summit was closely watched amid efforts by the two countries to improve bilateral ties.
PM @narendramodi and President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the Delhi BRICS Summit today. The two leaders reviewed the full range of India-China relations. pic.twitter.com/qxDhxZZe1k
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 12, 2026
Apart from Chinese President, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was another notable absentee at the dinner. However, unlike Xi, the reason for his absence was known in advance. The Crown Prince left for the UAE after attending the BRICS Summit during the day.
ALSO READ: PM Modi, Xi Jinping Seek To Strengthen India-China Ties, Discuss Border, Trade And Investment
Who Attended The Gala Dinner?
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other BRICS leaders attended the gala dinner hosted by PM Modi. Several senior Indian leaders and dignitaries were also present.
Union ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the dinner, along with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Chief ministers including Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra's Devendra Fadnavis, West Bengal's Suvendu Adhikari and Assam's Himanta Biswa Sarma were also present.
The Union ministers and chief ministers travelled in two buses from Parliament House to the dinner venue at Bharat Mandapam.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13 in New Delhi. Leaders of the 11 BRICS member countries and 10 partner countries are attending the summit, along with representatives of international organisations.
The summit is focused on strengthening cooperation among BRICS members and discussions on key global and regional issues.
ALSO READ: BRICS Summit: Declaration Adopted; Leaders To Hold Open Session On Day 2 — Check Timings
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