Chinese President Xi Jinping will likely skip the upcoming BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro—his first absence since taking office. Beijing cites scheduling conflicts, but Brazilian officials believe the real reason is diplomatic discomfort over a state dinner invitation extended to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo that information about Xi's participation in the summit will be shared at the "appropriate time". Guo added that China supported Brazil’s BRICS presidency and sought to “promote deeper cooperation” among its members.

President Xi Jinping will miss a meeting of BRICS leaders in Rio de Janeiro, according to a Brazilian official familiar with the matter, marking the first time the Chinese leader has skipped the summit since taking power.