Is Xi Jinping Preparing To Step Down As Chinese President? Resignation Rumours Spark As He Skips BRICS Summit

Internet is abuzz with the rumours of Chinese President Xi Jinping stepping down from his position. His decision to skip the recent BRICS Summit has given credence to the speculations.

At the BRICS Summit held on July 6, almost all the leaders made their presence felt. But two big names were conspicuously absent: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin's absence wasn't surprising since he's entangled in an ongoing war and has been declared an offender by the International Criminal Court (ICC). If he attended such an event, the consequences could have been serious.

However, Xi Jinping not turning up is no small matter either. His absence has sparked questions: Why did Xi Jinping skip the summit? What's the real reason? According to the official word from Beijing's Foreign Ministry, it was a simple scheduling clash. With several events happening around the same time, Chinese President couldn't make it to the BRICS Summit 2025.

Why Did Chinese President Xi Skip BRICS Summit?

Now, for a leader like Xi Jinping to say his schedule didn't permit attendance-or to suggest that the BRICS Summit isn't a priority-raises eyebrows. After all, he has attended 12 consecutive summits since 2012 and his decision to skip the meet, which is seen as a counterweight to US influence, has surprised political observers.

This strategic group holds immense significance for China, much like it does for India and the Global South. However, Beijing sent Premier Li Yang as their representative. A mere scheduling issue doesn't seem like a convincing explanation.

Further adding fuel to the fire are renewed whispers about Xi's retirement following a significant meeting of the 24-member Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China held on June 30. According to China's state-run news agency Xinhua, this meeting reviewed new rules concerning the functioning of the party's institutions.

In that very meeting, chaired by Xi himself, the Chinese President said these new regulations will "standardise" the structure, duties, and operations of the Communist Party's key bodies. This suggests that Xi is now working toward redistributing power within the party.

What's more intriguing is that this comes after Xi Jinping mysteriously vanished from the public eye between May 21 and June 5, 2025, without any official explanation. Political watchers believe that this latest development could be Xi's way of paving the path for a smooth leadership transition, according to a report in Times Now.

Quoting an expert from the South China Morning Post: the "rules may be set up to regulate the bodies because it's a key time for power transition." At the same time, some analysts think this move to delegate power could simply be so that Xi can focus on "larger issues"-possibly the very reason behind his BRICS absence.

In short, a mix of domestic turbulence, international tensions, and possibly an upcoming political transition is what seems to have kept Xi Jinping away from the BRICS Summit-sparking all kinds of rumours about his future.