A video circulating online amid the ongoing BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi claims Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a portrait of himself to Chinese President Xi Jinping, sparking mockery on social media.
One user on X captioned the photo, "Modi gifted Xi Jinping his own portrait. Self-Love Level: PMO Edition." The image shows Modi and Xi holding a portrait between them, drawing attention given Xi's high-profile presence at this year's summit, his first visit to India in seven years following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.
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PIB Traces The Photo Back To 2019
The Press Information Bureau's fact-check wing stepped in to clarify the claim, confirming on X that it was false. According to PIB, the photo actually dates back to October 12, 2019, during the Mahabalipuram Summit, when Xi gifted Modi a porcelain memento bearing the prime minister's own image, not the other way around.
PIB's post read: "The claim is #FAKE. The porcelain memento featuring PM Narendra Modi's image was gifted by Chinese President Xi Jinping to PM Narendra Modi in #Mamallapuram on 12 October 2019."
🚨 A video is being shared online claiming that Prime Minister @narendramodi gifted a portrait of himself to Chinese President #XiJinping #PIBFactCheck
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) September 12, 2026
❌ The claim is #FAKE.
✅ The porcelain memento featuring PM Narendra Modi's image was gifted by Chinese President Xi… pic.twitter.com/OvHX4SC9fv
Xi's Visit Marks A Diplomatic Thaw
Xi's arrival in New Delhi for the two-day summit is being seen as a significant step towards easing tensions between the two countries following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.
Other leaders attending the summit include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The summit's timing carries added weight given the global economic strain from the Russia-Ukraine war, the West Asia conflict and its impact on the Strait of Hormuz, and ongoing friction over US trade and tariff policies.
Modi Pushes For Global Governance Reform
Beyond the viral photo controversy, Modi used his address at the summit to call for structural reforms to global decision-making, describing the current system as a "pyramid of privilege" that keeps the Global South affected by crises but excluded from shaping responses to them.
He proposed transforming this into what he called a "platform of partnership", where every nation has a stake in decision-making. Modi also introduced a 10-point roadmap for reforming global governance within the BRICS framework and proposed a "Seafarers' Emergency Support Network" aimed at protecting sailors from risks tied to ongoing regional conflicts.
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Beyond the summit's headline sessions, Saturday's schedule was packed with one-on-one diplomacy, with Modi holding individual talks with several visiting leaders, including Xi.
The day wound down on a cultural note, with Modi hosting a dinner built around a musical showcase dubbed the "BRICS Symphony", bringing together roughly 160 performers, a mix of Indian classical dancers and musicians, alongside artists representing the other member nations.
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