Chinese President Xi Jinping came to Delhi for the BRICS Summit. He landed Saturday afternoon, went straight into the meetings, sat with Modi for their bilateral talk, and then… when the big gala dinner started in the evening at Bharat Mandapam, he wasn’t there.
Putin was at the table. Other BRICS leaders were there. Our ministers — Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, the whole lot — were present. A few chief ministers too. But Xi’s place stayed empty.
The people who know the schedule say he was just tired. He left China that morning, reached Delhi around noon, did the full summit session, then the meeting with Modi. By evening he went back to the hotel to rest. No fancy official explanation from Beijing or Delhi. Just that.
This was his first visit to India in seven years. Last time was 2019 in Mamallapuram. So the fact he came at all was already news. The talk with Modi happened as planned. They spoke about trade, investment, keeping the border calm, and not letting small differences blow up. Careful language on both sides, nothing explosive, but it was a proper conversation after a long cold stretch.
Later China sent Foreign Minister Wang Yi to represent them at the dinner. The other big name missing was the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, but that one was expected — he had already left for home after the daytime meetings.
The dinner itself had an all-veg menu. Khandvi, mushroom kebabs, paneer, millet rice, and those classic Delhi-style desserts with jalebi and phirni. There was a cultural performance too. Some people online started saying maybe the food put him off, but the actual sources say no — it was pure fatigue after the long flight and a packed day.
There was one small moment earlier that added to the talk. During the opening speech Modi stopped for a second, looked at Xi, and asked if he was okay. You can see it in the video. Xi looked a bit off for a moment. Then a few hours later he skipped the dinner. Naturally people connected the two. But the working explanation from those close to the arrangements stays the same: he needed rest.
The summit itself moved ahead without any drama. They brought out the New Delhi Declaration, talked about giving developing countries more voice in global bodies, the usual BRICS stuff. Xi finished the second day’s sessions and flew back.
In the end it doesn’t feel like some big political message. These leaders run on crazy tight schedules. Fly across the world, do the serious meetings, squeeze in the important bilateral, then try to sleep. Sometimes the dinner just doesn’t fit. That’s what the people who were briefed are saying, and nobody has come out with a different version. Modi, and went back to the hotel instead of staying for the evening meal. Straightforward as that.
Sources:
Indian Express, Times of India, Deccan Herald, Hindustan Times, LiveMint, Firstpost, News18, India Today, and the PTI reports they all used.
@Rohit Manral
