After over a decade of unchallenged authority, Xi Jinping is showing signs of stepping back. From skipping key summits like Brics in Brazil to quietly redistributing the Chinese Communist Party control,

Chinese President Xi Jinping's absence from public view, appearing only twice in videos in over a month, amid a military purge and economic challenges, has fuelled speculation of a power shift in the Chinese Communist Party.

A summit of leaders from the BRICS group of major emerging economies kicks off in Brazil Sunday – but without the top leader of its most powerful member.