Where's Xi?

Xi and Ramaphosa with their wives in a photo call

China watchers are wondering what's going on after Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in South Africa for the Brics Business Forum, but failed to show up for the opening where he was supposed to deliver a speech.

In his place, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao read Xi's speech in Johannesburg, which had a veiled criticism against the United States for its tendency toward "hegemony".

Putin gave a speech virtually, but Xi a no-show

It is the first in-person summit at Brics, where the leaders of Brazil, India, South Africa, and China are meeting since the pandemic, though Russia's Vladimir Putin is virtually there as there is an international warrant for his arrest in the host country.

Although Xi arrived on Monday evening and later met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Chinese leader was a no show at the business forum with no explanation given either.

Bonnie Glaser of the German Marshall Fund was quoted as saying: "It is extremely unusual for a Chinese leader to show up in a country hosting a multilateral meeting -- especially one that China is deeply invested in, like Brics, and fail to show up at the opening event."

Meanwhile Brian Hart, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies added: "Xi's absence is highly unusual. Chinese leaders rarely go off script at high-profile events like this... Xi's disappearance is yet another reminder that Beijing can be a black box."

Xi had arrived Monday, met with Ramaphosa

CNN alluded to former top diplomat Qing Gang being suddenly disappeared for a month with no explanation either but replaced last month by his predecessor Wang Yi.

The Brics forum has more than 30 other heads of state and leaders from global organisations, including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, attending the event.

It is the largest gathering of the Global South countries from Africa, the Caribbean and South America, as well as the Middle East, West Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Will Xi resurface later? Does he have a headache? Or would rather go check out a safari instead?

Many questions...