Speculation Surrounds Xi Jinping’s Unexpected Absence at Brics Summit

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, unexpectedly skipped a scheduled speech at a key multilateral business forum in South Africa on Tuesday. Xi arrived in Johannesburg for the Brics summit on Monday evening on what is only his second international trip this year, after visiting Moscow in March. He was met on the airport tarmac by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.

According to the summit schedule, Xi was expected to attend the forum and deliver remarks alongside other leaders on Tuesday. But instead, his speech was read out by his commerce minister, Wang Wentao. Xi later attended the summit dinner, but no reason was given for missing the speech. It appeared to be a last-minute decision, as state media articles and social media posts from China’s foreign ministry spokesperson were published as though he had delivered it himself.

Some China watchers speculated whether something was “amiss” or if Xi was temporarily ill, but an explanation is unlikely to be given. Bill Bishop, author of Sinocism, a popular newsletter about Chinese affairs, noted there had already been a long period this month without any public appearances by Xi, which seemed “a bit strange”. “This last-minute decision to skip the business forum looks even stranger. So in the absence of any useful information from the PRC [People’s Republic of China] system rumors will fly,” he said.

The China Global South Project noted this was the second unexplained absence by a Chinese official after former foreign minister Qin Gang – who has not been seen in public for months – also missed last month’s foreign ministers Brics meeting. “To say [Xi’s absence] is extraordinary is an understatement as Chinese leaders never miss highly choreographed events like this,” it said.

The speech, delivered by Wang, made thinly veiled attacks on the US, describing an unnamed country as “obsessed with maintaining hegemony, [and] has gone out of its way to cripple the emerging markets and developing countries”. “Whoever develops first becomes their target of containment. Whoever is catching up becomes its target of obstruction,” Wang said on behalf of Xi.

The Brics countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – represent about 40% of the world’s population and a quarter of global GDP. Leaders of all member nations except Vladimir Putin attended in person as he currently faces an arrest warrant for war crimes issued by the international criminal court.

The summit was attended by representatives of dozens of other countries, as the main members consider expanding its membership. Some members like China are seeking to build up Brics as a counterweight to western blocs like the G7 or G20, although there is division within the group. On Tuesday, Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said it wasn’t the group’s aim to compete with western institutions. India’s leadership, which has an often fractious relationship with China, is also hesitant over empowering Beijing through Brics.

How does the lack of transparency and information from the Chinese government regarding Xi Jinping’s absence from the scheduled speech at the Brics summit contribute to speculation about his health and potential political motives

Ut any public appearances by Xi Jinping, leading to speculation about his health or potential political maneuvering behind the scenes.

The Brics summit is a gathering of the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and focuses on economic cooperation and development. While Xi’s absence from the scheduled speech was unexpected, it did not appear to have a significant impact on the overall proceedings of the summit.

Xi’s limited international travel this year has been attributed to various factors, including the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and his focus on domestic issues such as the country’s economic recovery. However, his absence from the scheduled speech may raise questions about China’s priorities and the extent of Xi’s involvement in international affairs.

The Chinese government is known for its tight control over information and transparency, especially when it comes to the health and activities of top officials. This lack of transparency has fueled speculation and rumors in the past, and it is unlikely that a clear explanation will be provided for Xi’s absence from the speech.

Overall, Xi Jinping’s unexpected decision to skip a scheduled speech at the Brics summit in South Africa has raised eyebrows and led to speculation about his health and political motives. However, without concrete information from the Chinese government, these speculations remain just that – speculations.