Chinese President Xi Jinping skips BRICS summit for first time. Here’s why it matters

Analysts say China is preparing for a major political meeting expected later this year, and Xi may be prioritising domestic planning over international travel.

“BRICS is part of Beijing’s effort to avoid being surrounded by US allies,” said Chong Ja Ian, a professor at the National University of Singapore told CNN. But he noted that with President Donald Trump’s trade policies weakening US alliances, the pressure on China may have eased.

Brian Wong, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, told CNN that sending Li Qiang should not be seen as a downgrade. “There is much in BRICS+ that fits Xi’s foreign policy worldview,” he said.

Who is attending the BRICS summit?

With Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin not attending in person, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will be among the high-profile leaders present.

Putin will join by video link, as Brazil is a member of the International Criminal Court and would be required to arrest him if he attended physically on a court charge alleging war crimes in Ukraine. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will host the summit.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto is expected to attend after the country officially joined BRICS earlier this year. Delegations from newer members  such as Iran, the UAE, Ethiopia, and Egypt are also likely to join, though not all plans have been confirmed.

What’s on the agenda?

The summit comes as President Trump’s temporary freeze on new tariffs is set to expire on 9 July. Several BRICS countries are under pressure to reach trade deals with the US to avoid higher tariffs.

The group is also expected to discuss de-dollarisation  a move to use national currencies instead of the US dollar for trade. However, the idea of a shared BRICS currency, proposed last year by Lula, is not likely to be discussed seriously. Trump has warned of heavy tariffs on countries that support such a plan.

Though China is not pushing for major outcomes this year, Premier Li is expected to focus on strengthening energy cooperation and promoting China’s digital currency in trade.

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