Why Xi Jinping Missed the BRICS Banquet
The absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping from the BRICS leaders’ dinner in New Delhi, India, has suddenly come under scrutiny. Although Xi had previously attended a series of summits and met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his seat remained empty during one of the meeting’s primary social events on Saturday night, 12 September 2026.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, 19 September 2026, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Xi cancelled his attendance at the last minute due to feeling unwell. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi subsequently attended the banquet in his stead, joining other world leaders.
However, so far, there has been no official statement from the Chinese government explaining any specific illness. Furthermore, there is no credible evidence to support social media rumours suggesting that the 73-year-old leader suffered a stroke or fainted while in India.
The Indian government has even denied such rumours. The Indian Express reported on Thursday, 17 September 202cap, that a fact-checking unit from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs identified social media claims regarding Xi and several other leaders falling ill after the BRICS summit as false and misleading information. The Ministry urged the public to be cautious of posts it described as “malicious.”
Consequently, two distinct points must be distinguished. The Wall Street Journal reported, based on sources familiar with the matter, that Xi did not attend the banquet because he was feeling unwell. However, more extreme claims that he fainted, suffered a stroke, or required serious medical treatment remain unconfirmed and have been refuted by the Indian government as part of the rumours circulating on social media.
Returning to the Hotel to Rest
Xi’s absence had drawn attention since the day after the banquet took place. The Times of India, on Sunday, 13 September 2026, quoting the Press Trust of India (PTI), reported that Xi did not attend the gala dinner hosted by Modi at Bharat Mandapam. One PTI source stated that Xi had returned to his hotel to rest. The specific reason for his absence at that time remained unknown.
India Today also reported on Sunday, 13 September 2026, that Xi’s absence was quite noticeable as most BRICS leaders and senior Indian officials attended the banquet. The outlet also cited sources stating that Xi had returned to his hotel to rest.
The absence gained further attention because Xi had previously accepted Modi’s invitation, and his diplomatic activities earlier that day had proceeded as normal.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an official statement on Saturday, 12 September 2026, confirmed that Xi arrived in New Delhi during the day to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. He arrived alongside several senior officials, including Wang Yi and Cai Qi.
On the same day, the Indian Prime Minister’s Office also announced that Modi and Xi had held a bilateral meeting. The two leaders discussed India-China relations, border issues, trade, supply chains, and cooperation on various regional and global issues.
Reuters also reported on Sunday, 13 September 2026, that Xi was active during the summit, promoting increased BRICS economic cooperation, including ideas regarding artificial intelligence, trade, and finance.
Therefore, what is known for certain is that Xi participated in the official summit agenda and conducted bilateral meetings, but did not attend the gala dinner that evening.