Who Are The Two Men Seen With PM Modi And Xi Jinping At BRICS Summit?

The BRICS Summit is underway in New Delhi, with Chinese President Xi Jinping arriving in India on Saturday for the high-profile gathering. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi have held talks on the sidelines of the summit, with several photographs of the two leaders emerging from their meeting.

However, two other faces have also drawn attention in the pictures. The two men are frequently seen accompanying their respective leaders during high-level diplomatic engagements. They are trusted and experienced interpreters who help facilitate communication between the two sides.

The Indian official seen with PM Modi is Siddharth Babu, while the Chinese official accompanying Xi is Sun Ning.

Sun Ning: Xi Jinping’s Interpreter

Sun Ning is known for his proficiency in languages and has worked as an interpreter for the Chinese leadership.

According to China’s People’s Daily, his language skills attracted the attention of the country’s Foreign Ministry at an early stage. He had won an English competition while in high school and later came into the ministry’s focus after participating in a speech competition in college.

The ministry reportedly contacted him even before he completed his university graduation, recognising his language abilities and potential.

Who Is Siddharth Babu?

The Indian official seen alongside Prime Minister Modi is Siddharth Babu, an Indian Foreign Service officer from Kochi, Kerala, who belongs to the 2017 batch.

Babu is proficient in multiple languages, particularly Mandarin and English. In recent years, he has frequently been seen interpreting for PM Modi during high-level international engagements, particularly those involving Chinese officials.

Siddharth Babu and Sun Ning play an important role in facilitating communication between the Indian and Chinese leaderships. Their job goes beyond simply translating words, as they help ensure that conversations between the two sides are conveyed accurately and smoothly during sensitive diplomatic engagements.

The presence of both interpreters alongside Modi and Xi at the BRICS Summit has therefore drawn attention, particularly as India and China seek to improve bilateral ties after years of tensions. Their latest meeting in New Delhi was the first visit by Xi to India in seven years.