Xi Jinping unexpectedly pulls out of BRICS summit speech in ‘extraordinary’ move

Chinese President Xi Jinping unexpectedly pulled out of delivering a speech at the BRICS summit in South Africa – leading to speculation he might be unwell. The Chinese leader was in Johannesburg for the business forum but asked his commerce minister Wang Wentao to deliver the remarks instead. The unusual move has sparked speculation that something was “amiss” but it is unlikely the Chinese government will provide an explanation. The president’s speech brought an air of confrontation to the summit in Johannesburg. In a thinly-veiled swipe at the United States, Mr Wang said “some country, obsessed with maintaining its hegemony,…