Chinese premier Li Qiang will represent China at the 17th Brics Summit in Brazil later this week, marking the first time President Xi Jinping will skip the annual gathering of the bloc since assuming power in 2012.Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning confirmed on Wednesday that premier Li will attend the July 5–8 summit in Rio de Janeiro on Xi’s behalf. However, she declined to elaborate on why Xi chose to sit out a summit he has consistently attended for over a decade.The high-profile summit will also be attended by PM Modi, at a time when China-India ties are in a cautious thaw following years of tensions sparked by the military standoff in eastern Ladakh.Xi’s absence sparks speculationXi’s absence is raising eyebrows in diplomatic circles, particularly given the recent efforts to reset India-China relations. The 2023 Brics Summit in Kazan, Russia, was seen as a turning point when PM Modi and Xi held their first in-person interaction in four years. That meeting led to the reopening of bilateral dialogue mechanisms and subsequent rounds of diplomatic talks aimed at stabilising ties.Observers are now questioning whether Xi’s decision to skip Rio signals a downgrade in Chinese diplomatic engagement with Brics or a broader strategic recalibration, particularly as Brics expands to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.PM Modi-Xi: Next possible encounter at SCO?With Xi out of the Brics equation this year, attention shifts to the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which will be hosted by China later in 2025. If PM Modi attends, it could present the next opportunity for a bilateral meeting between the two leaders.