Xi Jinping Skips Modi's BRICS Dinner in Delhi, Officials Say He Was Tired After Long Flight

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed were among the leaders who did not attend a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the first evening of the BRICS Summit in Delhi, people familiar with the matter said.

Mr Xi landed in Delhi on Saturday afternoon and took part in the summit proceedings, including a bilateral meeting with Mr Modi. According to officials with direct knowledge of the matter, the Chinese president skipped the dinner because he was tired and exhausted after a long flight and the resulting time difference. He had attended his other scheduled engagements for the day after the journey, they said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders of the grouping attended the dinner. Union ministers and chief ministers of several states were also present.

Among those at the dinner were Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also attended.

The ministers and chief ministers travelled together in two buses from Parliament House to Bharat Mandapam in central Delhi, the venue of the dinner.

The two-day summit concludes on Sunday. Leaders of the 11 member countries and 10 partner countries, along with representatives of some international organisations, are taking part.

Mr Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with leaders from seven countries on Sunday, officials said.

On Saturday, Mr Modi and Mr Xi took stock of India-China ties and exchanged perspectives on the relationship.

A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said the two leaders stressed that "differences should not become disputes" and reiterated that both nations ought to adopt a strategic and long-term outlook regarding their relationship.

"The two leaders welcomed the steady progress in India-China bilateral relations since their last meeting in Tianjin in August 2025. They reaffirmed that both countries should take a strategic and long-term perspective of their ties. Differences should not become disputes. Prime Minister highlighted that both sides must be guided by three mutuals — mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest," the statement said.

The meeting is part of continuing efforts by both sides to manage a relationship that has been strained since the border tensions of 2020. The two countries have held a series of diplomatic and military-level discussions in recent years aimed at restoring normalcy along the Line of Actual Control and rebuilding economic and people-to-people links.

BRICS, which began as a four-nation grouping of Brazil, Russia, India and China and was later joined by South Africa, has expanded in recent years to include new members, reflecting its stated aim of giving emerging economies a greater voice in global governance.