Xi Jinping Retires Early from BRICS Opening Day Gala Dinner in New Delhi
During the 18th BRICS Summit held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping opted out of the high-profile gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the absence generated dynamic curiosity among observers, sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the decision was driven by physical fatigue following long-distance travel and an exceptionally packed diplomatic schedule.
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A Packed Diplomatic Schedule President Xi arrived in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon after a long flight from Beijing. Immediately upon landing, he transitioned directly into official summit proceedings and bilateral engagements. Among these, the bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Xi marked a crucial milestone.
The summit agenda demanded intensive focus, leading President Xi to head directly to his hotel to rest after completing his daytime commitments. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed was another notable figure absent from the dinner table, having departed for the UAE immediately following the summit’s main business sessions.
Bilateral Ties Take Priority The bilateral talks between India and China carried significant diplomatic weight. According to an official statement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both leaders emphasized that “differences should not become disputes” and underlined the necessity of adopting a long-term strategic perspective.
PM Modi reinforced three core guiding principles for future relations:
- Mutual Respect
- Mutual Sensitivity
- Mutual Interest
Both sides welcomed ongoing progress and discussed addressing trade imbalances, laying positive groundwork despite President Xi skipping the evening festivities.
Distinguished Guests at Bharat Mandapam While President Xi rested, the evening banquet went ahead with full diplomatic fanfare at Bharat Mandapam. Russian President Vladimir Putin attended, along with delegates from member and partner nations.
Indian political leadership turned out in full force. To ensure smooth logistics, senior Union Ministers and State Chief Ministers traveled together in two buses from Parliament House directly to the venue. Attendees included:
- Cabinet Ministers: Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
- State Chief Ministers & Officials: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Devendra Fadnavis (Maharashtra), Suvendu Adhikari (West Bengal), and Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam).
The delegates were served a curated culinary spread highlighting traditional Indian flavors with a modern touch, featuring dishes such as khamb galouti, paneer lababdar, gucchi marmik, and millet pulao, concluded by classic desserts like shahtoot phirni and jalebi.
With day one concluded, the two-day summit wraps up today with further bilateral dialogues, strategic working sessions, and global governance deliberations.
