China backs India to hold 'successful' BRICS summit but remains evasive about Xi's attendance

Beijing: China on Thursday said it supports India to make this year's BRICS summit a "full success" but remained evasive about President Xi Jinping's attendance.

"BRICS is an important platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here.

"China attaches great importance to and actively participates in BRICS cooperation. We support this year's chair India in making the BRICS Summit a full success", she said, but evaded answering a question on whether Xi would attend the meeting.


"For (the) specifics you mentioned, I have no information to share at the moment", she said.

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, with Indonesia joining in 2025.

India, the current chair of the grouping, is scheduled to hold this year's summit on Sept 12-13.

On this week's visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his talks with various Chinese officials, including Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying, Mao said the two of them exchanged views on a range of issues.

"They exchanged views on delivering on the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries, deepening political mutual trust, advancing exchanges and cooperation in various areas, properly handling differences and disputes, and promoting the sound and steady development of China-India relations," she said.

Misri, who was previously India's Ambassador to China, met Hua on Monday during his two-day visit to China.

The meeting was held under the Vice Minister-Foreign Secretary mechanism between two countries, Mao said.