Xi Jinping losing his grip? Signs emerge of chaos in China’s military and political circles

For the first time since it was started, Chinese President Xi Jinping is not attending the BRICS summit, a move that's raising speculations that something must be going terribly wrong within China, as per a report.

Xi Jinping Skips BRICS Summit for First Time

The official explanation from Beijing is simple, a “scheduling conflict,” and that Xi had already met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva earlier this year, but experts are convinced, as per Fox News.

Experts See Signs of Turmoil at Home

Xi’s sudden absence from this week’s gathering of major emerging economies in Brazil for BRICS is prompting questions about the stability of his leadership at home, according to the Fox News report.


An expert on US-China relations, Gordon Chang said, "That doesn’t make sense," adding, "There are many other countries at the BRICS summit, not just Brazil. To me, it’s extremely significant that Xi Jinping is not going. It suggests turbulence at home — there are signs he’s lost control of the military and that civilian rivals are reasserting power. This is a symptom of that," as quoted in the report.

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Premier Li Qiang Steps In

According to a Fox News report, Premier Li Qiang is attending the summit in Brazil instead of Xi, continuing a recent trend of Xi scaling back his appearances on the global stage.

Widening Rifts Within BRICS

Bryan Burack of the Heritage Foundation also pointed out that Xi’s absence might indicate deeper issues, saying, "It’s another indication that BRICS is not going to be China’s vassalization of the Global South," as quoted in the report.

He explained that countries like Brazil and Indonesia have recently imposed tariffs on China over industrial overcapacity and dumping, which reflect widening rifts within the group. Burack pointed out that, "China is actively harming all those countries for the most part, maybe with some exceptions, through its malign trade policies and dumping and overcapacity," as quoted by Fox News.

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China-India Tensions Add Pressure

While a few analysts have also cited rising China-India friction as a possible reason for Xi’s decision to not attend the summit, according to the report.

Burack pointed out that, "China has been at war with India for decades, essentially," adding, "These are fundamentally opposing interests. It’s difficult to see China changing its behavior in the near term, and that will keep tensions high," as quoted by Fox News.

According to the report, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is expected to take a leading role at the summit, which could have been another deterrent for Xi’s attendance. The author of The Red Emperor, a biography of Xi, Michael Sheridan said, Xi, as the Red Emperor, does not want to be overshadowed,” as quoted in the Telegraph.

FAQs

Why is Xi Jinping skipping the BRICS summit?
Officially, due to a scheduling conflict and because he already met Brazil’s president this year. But many experts suspect political turmoil at home.

Why is Xi scaling back his global appearances?
It’s unclear, but experts suggest he may be facing internal challenges or strategic shifts.