Speculation is rife after Chinese President Xi Jinping's failure to appear at an economic forum at a summit of the five emerging economies collectively known as the BRICS in South Africa - even as Chinese media insisted he was there.
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The summit's official program said the Chinese leader would speak at the BRICS Economic Forum on Tuesday but the president's speech was instead delivered by his minister of commerce, Wang Wentao.
Xi later attended the leaders' dinner and was also seen at the summit on Wednesday morning, after entering the conference centre at the start of the summit's second day.
Officials in Beijing did not provide an explanation as to why Xi did not attend the Economic Forum.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the China's Foreign Ministry, insisted at a daily press conference on Wednesday that the president had given a speech.
The spokesman then relayed the content.
Another Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, quoted Xi's speech on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Chinese state media also initially gave the impression that the president had spoken in person.
In the speech delivered by the commerce minister, Xi criticised the United States without actually naming the country.
"There is a country that wants to maintain its hegemony and has done everything to cripple emerging and developing countries," his speech said.
"Those who are developing fast are being contained by them. Those who catch up are hindered."
The BRICS alliance of five emerging economies includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The summit in South Africa was expected to focus on the group's expansion, with the alliance aiming It now aims to become "BRICS plus" and take on numerous new members.
Australian Associated Press
