The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has dismissed claims that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping fell ill after attending the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, amid rumours circulating on social media.

In a post shared on X, MEA factcheck said that claims being made on Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping are fake and misleading.

⚠️ Misleading!

We caution against such malicious posts on social media platforms! pic.twitter.com/YvsNEQ3Jy2

— MEA FactCheck (@MEAFactCheck) September 17, 2026

However, South Africa said that due to ill health, President Ramaphosa, 73, has been advised to rest and recover post attending the BRICS Summit in New Delhi in India. Ramaphosa is off public engagements and will be represented by respective Ministers.