Why Did Xi Jinping Skip Modi’s Dinner?
On the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with leaders from various countries. As part of this, he also met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday.
However, the Chinese president did not attend a dinner hosted by PM Modi that evening. After the meeting, he returned to his hotel to rest.
PM Modi hosted the dinner for the visiting heads of state at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Saturday night. While other BRICS leaders attended, Xi Jinping was not seen there.
No official explanation has been given by his delegation as to why he did not attend the dinner. However, several reports said he returned to his hotel to rest after the summit and bilateral meeting.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Delhi shortly before noon on Saturday. He then attended the BRICS Summit and held a bilateral meeting with Modi. It was his first visit to India in seven years. He is in India for a two-day visit to attend the BRICS Summit.
Besides Xi Jinping, a representative of the United Arab Emirates also could not attend the dinner. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed attended the summit on behalf of the UAE. He returned home after the summit due to his busy schedule.
However, other invited leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, attended the dinner. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah and several Union Cabinet ministers were also present, including Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the chief ministers of several states also attended the dinner. They included West Bengal Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. They travelled from Parliament House to Bharat Mandapam in two buses.
The BRICS Summit, which began on Saturday, will conclude today, Sunday. Representatives from BRICS’ 11 member countries and 10 partner countries are attending the summit.
Source: Anandabazar
