New Delhi, September 10: Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit India to attend the upcoming BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, marking his first visit to the country since 2019.Xi will participate in the two-day summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
His visit comes at a time when India and China have been gradually working to improve ties following years of strained relations triggered by the 2020 military confrontation along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
Relations between the two Asian neighbours deteriorated sharply after the border tensions, leading to a prolonged military standoff and a decline in high-level political engagement.In recent years, however, the two sides have taken steps to restore communication and revive diplomatic engagement.
Modi’s visit to China in 2025 was among the developments that contributed to renewed interaction between the leaderships of the two countries.Xi’s presence at the BRICS summit is expected to give India and China an opportunity for further high-level engagement on the sidelines of the multilateral meeting, even as unresolved bilateral issues remain.
The summit is expected to bring together leaders from across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Among those expected to attend are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
BRICS has expanded significantly from its original grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Its current members include Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.The grouping also includes partner countries such as Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
The New Delhi summit follows the 2025 BRICS meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. China is scheduled to host the grouping’s summit in 2027.Xi’s India visit is being closely watched as a potential sign of continued diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Beijing, although the two countries continue to have important differences, particularly over their border.
