Xi Jinping Skips BRICS Gala Dinner at Bharat Mandapam, Returns to Hotel

Chinese President Xi Jinping was absent from the gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday evening for leaders attending the BRICS Summit and other international gatherings, according to people aware of the arrangements.

While no official explanation was given for his absence, those familiar with the matter indicated that Xi had returned to his hotel to rest. Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed of Abu Dhabi, who had departed for home after attending the summit earlier in the day, was also not present at the dinner table.

The dinner at Bharat Mandapam featured an all-vegetarian spread, in keeping with the venue's practice of serving only vegetarian meals. Guests were offered starters including khandvi mille, a steamed gram-flour roll, and khumb galouti, pan-grilled mushroom kebabs with mint pearls. The main course comprised paneer lababdar, gucchi marmik made with Himalayan morel mushrooms and tender asparagus, and carrot bean poriyal, alongside thakkali belle saaru, a light lentil broth, millet pulao, beetroot raita and assorted Indian breads. Desserts included Old Delhi fruit cream with jalebi and shahtoot phirni.

An ensemble of more than 100 artistes, drawn largely from India and other BRICS member countries, performed during the meal.

Among those who attended were Russian President Vladimir Putin and other BRICS leaders, along with several Union ministers and chief ministers. The ministers present included Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also attended, as did chief ministers Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh, Devendra Fadnavis of Maharashtra, Suvendu Adhikari of West Bengal and Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam. The ministers and chief ministers travelled together in two buses from Parliament House to the venue.

Xi's visit to India, his first in seven years, included a bilateral meeting with Modi earlier on Saturday focused on stabilising ties through expanded trade and investment. The Ministry of External Affairs said the two leaders reaffirmed the need for a strategic and long-term perspective, with Modi stressing that differences should not become disputes and that both sides must be guided by mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest.

Xi arrived in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon and has since returned to China. India hosted the BRICS Summit on September 12-13, with leaders of 11 member countries and 10 partner countries, as well as representatives of some international organisations, taking part.