Chinese president attended the Brics summit over the weekend but skipped the gala dinner with the bloc’s leaders
Thursday 17 September 2026 13:01 BST
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Social media is abuzz with speculation that Xi Jinping skipped the Brics gala dinner in Delhi on Sunday and made a hasty return to China because he took ill.
Mr Xi was in India for the first time in seven years to attend the 18th Brics summit but returned before the rest of the world leaders on 13 September. He has not been seen in public since his return to China, further fuelling the rumour mill.
A video shared by India's national broadcaster showed prime minister Narendra Modi briefly pausing during his opening remarks at the summit to check on Mr Xi, who was seated to his left.
"Is it OK?" the Indian leader asked as aides appeared to rush to Mr Xi. He repeated the question and Mr Xi nodded. Mr Modi then proceeded with his speech.
Chinese journalists on Wednesday posted a longer video on X, a platform banned in the country, to claim that Mr Modi was responding to the president’s faulty earpiece used for real-time translation.
The Chinese foreign ministry said earlier this week that Mr Xi departed Delhi on Sunday afternoon after “successfully concluding” his attendance at the summit. The visit appeared consistent with the itinerary of attending the summit from 12 to 13 September, but lasted only about 24 hours.
Speculations about the 73-year-old leader's failing health began on Monday after the chair of the China Democracy Party, an unregistered political organisation, alleged in a post on X that Mr Xi fainted during the Brics summit and was flown back to China for emergency medical treatment.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
Social media is abuzz with speculation that Xi Jinping skipped the Brics gala dinner in Delhi on Sunday and made a hasty return to China because he took ill.
Mr Xi was in India for the first time in seven years to attend the 18th Brics summit but returned before the rest of the world leaders on 13 September. He has not been seen in public since his return to China, further fuelling the rumour mill.
A video shared by India's national broadcaster showed prime minister Narendra Modi briefly pausing during his opening remarks at the summit to check on Mr Xi, who was seated to his left.
"Is it OK?" the Indian leader asked as aides appeared to rush to Mr Xi. He repeated the question and Mr Xi nodded. Mr Modi then proceeded with his speech.
Chinese journalists on Wednesday posted a longer video on X, a platform banned in the country, to claim that Mr Modi was responding to the president’s faulty earpiece used for real-time translation.
The Chinese foreign ministry said earlier this week that Mr Xi departed Delhi on Sunday afternoon after “successfully concluding” his attendance at the summit. The visit appeared consistent with the itinerary of attending the summit from 12 to 13 September, but lasted only about 24 hours.
Speculations about the 73-year-old leader's failing health began on Monday after the chair of the China Democracy Party, an unregistered political organisation, alleged in a post on X that Mr Xi fainted during the Brics summit and was flown back to China for emergency medical treatment.
Chinese president Xi Jinping at the Brics summit in Delhi (AFP/Getty)
