Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning confirmed on July 2, what had previously been rumored, that Chinese Premier Li Qiang will be attending the upcoming 17th BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, on July 6-7, in place of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Though many speculate about the cause of President Xi’s absence, no official reason has been given. It is not known whether Xi will join the summit virtually.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will likewise not be in attendance at the Brazil summit, due to the International Criminal Court’s outstanding warrant against him; it was announced on June 25 by Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov that Putin will participate by video.
