Xi Jinping Skips BRICS Gala Dinner in New Delhi After Modi Talks

Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend the gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS leaders and delegates in New Delhi on Saturday, with a source indicating he returned to his hotel to rest. The reason for his absence was not immediately known.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed was also absent from the dinner, having reportedly left for home after taking part in the summit earlier in the day.

Xi had arrived in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon for the BRICS Summit and held a bilateral meeting with Modi. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other BRICS leaders attended the dinner, along with several Union ministers, including Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and chief ministers Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh, Devendra Fadnavis of Maharashtra, Suvendu Adhikari of West Bengal and Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam were also present.

During their talks on the sidelines of the summit, Modi and Xi said differences should not become disputes and committed to a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question. The Prime Minister stressed that both sides must be guided by mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement quoted Xi as telling Modi that China and India are partners rather than rivals and offer development opportunities rather than threats to each other. Xi also said the two sides should address each other's economic and trade concerns in a balanced way and promote the sound and steady development of economic and trade relations.