Chinese FM skips pre-summit BRICS ministerial meeting

New Delhi, July 21

BRICS Foreign Ministers met virtually on Thursday, but without Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang who has not been seen in public since June 25. “I don’t have any information for your question,’’ said Chinese Foreign Office spokesperson Mao Ning when asked when he would be returning to duties.

As was the case with last week’s ASEAN related meetings in Jakarta, Qin’s slot was filled by an alternative. If it was his predecessor as Foreign Minister Wang Yi who filled in for Qin in Jakarta, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu was the replacement at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ virtual meeting which discussed membership expansion and greater cooperation among emerging markets and developing nations.

The summit meeting in Johannesburg next month will not feature Russian President Vladimir Putin who will participate by a video link while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will be Moscow’s main representative.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the meeting saw “useful conversation for taking the BRICS agenda forward and preparing for the summit meeting”.