By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS leaders and other dignitaries in New Delhi on Saturday, despite attending the first day of the summit and holding a bilateral meeting with Modi.
However, many world leaders savoured the Indian food served in the dinner, diplomatic sources said.
on the other hand, Xi returned to his hotel after the summit proceedings, according to reports citing sources familiar with the matter. The Chinese president’s specific reason for skipping the dinner was not officially disclosed, though he was reported to have gone back to his hotel to rest after a busy day of summit engagements. A day after skipping dinner, Xi returned to Beijing.
The dinner, hosted at Bharat Mandapam, brought together several BRICS leaders, senior ministers and other dignitaries. Russian President Vladimir Putin was among those who attended, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi represented China at the dinner, according to reports.
The menu offered a distinctly Indian culinary experience, with an entirely vegetarian spread drawing from different regional traditions. Millets, highlighted as “Shree Anna”, featured prominently in the meal.
The dinner came hours after Modi and Xi held their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit. Their talks focused on the India-China relationship and the need to manage differences without allowing them to turn into disputes.
Xi’s decision to skip the dinner attracted attention because his presence in New Delhi marked his first visit to India since 2019 and came amid efforts by the two countries to stabilise ties following years of tensions along their disputed Himalayan border.
India has hosted the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, bringing together the expanded grouping of major emerging economies and partner countries.