2023-08-23 09:39:00
(CNN) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping unexpectedly skipped a BRICS economic group business forum in South Africa on Tuesday, sending his trade minister to deliver a fiery speech on his behalf condemning US hegemony.
Xi, who arrived in Johannesburg on Monday for the annual BRICS summit of major emerging economies, was scheduled to address his business forum on Tuesday followingnoon along with leaders from India, Brazil and South Africa.
But the Chinese leader did not show up for the event, without any official announcement or explanation from Beijing.
Instead, his prepared statement — peppered with thinly veiled attacks on the United States that have become a regular fixture of Xi’s international speeches — was read by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.
In the statement, Xi called on the world to avoid sleepwalking “into the abyss of a new cold war.”
Without directly mentioning the United States, the statement said that “some country, obsessed with maintaining its hegemony, has done everything possible to cripple emerging markets and developing countries.”
“Whoever develops quickly, becomes their contention target. Whoever catches up becomes the target of obstruction. But this is useless, ”he added.
Xi was the only BRICS leader not to attend the business forum. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was unable to personally participate in the summit due to an international arrest warrant for his brutal invasion of Ukraine, made comments virtually.
Xi’s surprise absence, noted by journalists at the event, raised questions among long-term observers of Chinese foreign policy.
“It is extremely unusual for a Chinese leader to show up in a country hosting a multilateral meeting – especially one in which China is deeply engaged, such as the BRICS – and not show up at the opening event,” said Bonnie Glaser, CEO of the Indo-Pacific program of the German Marshall Fund.
Brian Hart, a fellow at the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Xi’s absence is “very unusual,” adding that Chinese leaders rarely go off-script at high-profile events like this.
“It seems that something took Xi away from the meeting. It might have been a health incident or perhaps an urgent matter that required his attention,” she said. “It is also possible that Xi skipped the event for some other reason, perhaps in response to events at the summit.”
Prior to the event, Xi met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday morning as part of his state visit to the country. In the evening, Xi attended a dinner hosted by Ramaphosa, along with the leaders of Brazil and India, as well as the Russian foreign minister.
“The fact that Xi skipped his speech at this meeting, but showed up for other engagements before and following this one, suggests that there was something sharp that drove him away during this period. But right now we just don’t know why,” Hart added.
Chinese state media and diplomats have given no explanation for Xi’s absence. Instead, “they have even gone so far as to ostensibly cover up Xi’s absence,” Hart said.
A report on the event by the state-run Xinhua news agency made no mention of Xi’s absence or the fact that his speech was delivered by Wang, the commerce minister.
Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, tweeted hours following the event that “Xi delivered a speech at the closing ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum 2023,” along with a photo showing the packed conference room.
At a regular news briefing on Wednesday, Wang Wenbin, another ministry spokesman, evaded a question regarding Xi’s absence from the BRICS business forum. Instead, Wang read a summary of the speech prepared by Xi and widely reported by state media.
When another reporter asked regarding Xi once more, Wang said: “I have already answered the question. We are sure that this meeting of BRICS leaders will be fruitful.”
Experts say Beijing will probably never explain why Xi didn’t show up.
“The (Communist Party of China) does not feel compelled to explain why its foreign minister was replaced or its top leader did not show up at the BRICS Business Forum. Anything can be a state secret,” said Glaser of the German Marshall Fund.
Last month, China abruptly removed Qin Gang as the country’s foreign minister following he had disappeared from public view for weeks. No explanation was given for the dramatic move, in which Qin was suddenly replaced by his predecessor Wang Yi. Since then, Qin has not been heard from in public.
That shakeup actually had an impact on the current BRICS summit, Hart pointed out at CSIS. Qin reportedly attended the BRICS preparatory meetings this summer, but during his disappearance, his deputy was sent in his place.
“Beijing’s lack of transparency is not surprising. When it comes to personnel matters or sensitive issues, Chinese officials strictly block the flow of information,” Hart said.
“Abnormalities like Xi’s disappearance are another reminder that Beijing can be a black box.”
–– Mengchen Zhang contributed reporting from Beijing.
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