Xi’s BRICS No-Show: A Signal of China’s Shifting Focus?
A Summit Without Its Heavyweight
The BRICS summit, hosted in Rio de Janeiro from July 6-7, 2025, is set to tackle global governance reforms and cooperation among the Global South, but it’s missing a key player: Chinese President Xi Jinping. For the first time in over a decade, Xi, who has championed BRICS as a counterweight to Western dominance, is skipping the annual gathering, sending Premier Li Qiang instead. This absence comes at a critical juncture for the expanded 11-nation bloc, now including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, UAE, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran, as they face a July 9 deadline to negotiate US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
Xi’s absence isn’t the only gap. Russia’s Vladimir Putin, facing an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, will join only via video link, as Brazil, like South Africa in 2023, is bound to arrest him. This leaves the stage open for leaders like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is attending alongside a state visit, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto is also expected, marking the country’s debut as a full member, though Saudi Arabia’s membership status remains unclear.
“Xi’s skipping BRICS? That’s like the quarterback benching himself before the big game,” an analyst posted on X, half-joking, half-intrigued.
Domestic Pressures Over Global Optics
Why is Xi sitting this one out? Observers point to China’s mounting economic challenges, exacerbated by trade frictions with the US, as a key factor. With Trump’s 100% tariffs threatened on BRICS nations supporting a rival currency to the US dollar, and a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports set for March 12, 2025, Beijing is navigating a high-stakes trade war. China, the US’s largest trading partner, faces potential GDP slowdowns, though its disciplined central bank may shield it from runaway inflation. Xi’s focus is likely on a key political conclave to chart China’s five-year economic course, suggesting BRICS isn’t his top priority.
Chong Ja Ian of the National University of Singapore notes that Trump’s disruption of global alliances may have reduced BRICS’ urgency for Xi, as Beijing expects few breakthroughs in Rio. Yet Brian Wong of the University of Hong Kong insists Xi’s absence isn’t a snub, as BRICS aligns with his vision of a Sino-Russian partnership and Global South leadership. Li Qiang is tasked with pushing China’s priorities, like energy ties with oil-rich BRICS members and expanding the digital yuan’s use in trade.
“Xi’s staying home to put out economic fires, not to diss BRICS,” a Hong Kong scholar muttered, sipping coffee.
De-Dollarization Dreams and Tariff Tensions
BRICS, born in 2009 as an economic coalition, has grown into a platform challenging the G7’s dominance, advocating for a multipolar world. With 46% of global GDP and 55% of the world’s population, the bloc’s influence is undeniable. A key focus in Rio is de-dollarization—shifting trade to national currencies to reduce reliance on the US dollar, especially for sanctioned members like Russia and Iran. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, hosting the summit, has prioritized “increasing payment options” to cut costs and vulnerabilities, while Russia pushes a cross-border payment system.
However, a unified BRICS currency, floated by Lula in 2023, is off the table, with India’s Modi opposing it to avoid antagonizing the US. Trump’s tariff threats—100% on any BRICS currency move—loom large, with a July 9 deadline adding pressure. The bloc’s joint statement is expected to criticize these “unjustified unilateral protectionist measures” but may avoid naming the US directly, reflecting China’s cautious stance post-trade talks.
“BRICS wants to ditch the dollar, but they’re tiptoeing around Trump’s tariff hammer,” a trade expert quipped, scrolling through summit agendas.
A Fractured Alliance Under Pressure
BRICS’ expansion has boosted its clout but also its divisions. With members like India wary of an anti-Western tilt and regional rivalries simmering, consensus is tough. Last month’s statement on military strikes against Iran dodged naming the US or Israel, highlighting the group’s struggle to speak with one voice. Brazil, hosting the G20, BRICS, and COP30 in 2025, aims to shine as a Global South leader, but Xi’s absence stings for Lula, despite their recent G20 deals.
The summit’s agenda—AI regulation, climate change, and health cooperation—shows ambition, but internal fractures and Trump’s economic shadow make unity elusive. As BRICS pushes for global governance reforms, like UN Security Council seats for Brazil and India, Xi’s absence and Putin’s virtual presence signal a bloc at a crossroads, balancing bold rhetoric with pragmatic caution.
