Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to arrive in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit on Saturday, making his first visit to India in nearly seven years. His return sets up a closely watched meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bharat Mandapam, as New Delhi and Beijing test whether recent diplomatic progress can produce a more stable relationship after years of border tensions.
China sends message ahead of Modi-Xi meeting
Hours before Xi’s expected arrival, Beijing signalled that it wants to improve relations with New Delhi while keeping disagreements under control. Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong confirmed that the two countries were arranging a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Xi.
“China and India are arranging for the bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi,” Xu wrote on X.
The PM Modi-Xi meeting is scheduled for 5:45 pm on Saturday. It will be the third consecutive year in which the two leaders have met, following their meetings in Kazan and Tianjin.
Beijing said it wants to increase communication and cooperation with New Delhi while “properly handle differences”. Xu said China wants the two countries to “be friends enjoying good neighbourliness and partners helping each other succeed”.
Xi Jinping returns to India after nearly seven years
Xi has left Beijing for New Delhi to attend the BRICS Summit at the invitation of PM Modi. His delegation includes Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
The visit carries particular weight because Xi has not travelled to India since October 2019, when he met PM Modi for their second informal summit in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu.
Relations changed sharply the following year. Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June 2020, sending ties between the two Asian powers into their worst crisis in decades.
From Galwan to New Delhi: The India-China timeline
| Period | Key development | October 2019 | PM Modi and Xi hold their second informal summit in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2020 | Indian and Chinese troops clash in Galwan Valley during the eastern Ladakh border crisis. | ||||
| September 2026 | Xi travels to New Delhi for the BRICS Summit and another bilateral meeting with PM Modi. |
Why India-China relations are back in focus
The border remains the biggest test of the diplomatic recovery. India has maintained that peace along the Line of Actual Control is necessary for stable relations with China.
- Border: New Delhi and Beijing have continued military and diplomatic talks aimed at preventing another confrontation along the LAC.
- Trade: China remains one of India’s biggest trading partners, but New Delhi has repeatedly raised concerns over the large trade imbalance and access to the Chinese market.
- Economic ties: The two countries are looking at ways to increase practical cooperation while dealing with restrictions and concerns that emerged after the 2020 border crisis.
- Regional security: India’s concerns over China’s close relationship with Pakistan remain an important point of friction between New Delhi and Beijing.
China says differences should not define entire relationship
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning echoed Xu’s comments ahead of the Modi-Xi meeting. She said Beijing wants to approach its relationship with India from a long-term perspective.
“China will work with India to act on the strategic guidance of the two leaders, handle bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, step up communication, enhance cooperation, properly handle differences, and be friends enjoying good-neighbourliness and partners helping each other succeed,” Mao said.
The language suggests Beijing wants disputes between the two countries to be managed without allowing them to block cooperation in other areas. For India, however, developments along the border remain central to any lasting improvement in relations.
BRICS Summit adds weight to PM Modi-Xi talks
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The gathering comes as the expanded grouping seeks greater cooperation on trade, investment, finance and issues affecting developing economies.
Xi’s visit puts India-China relations at the centre of attention alongside the wider BRICS agenda. His meeting with PM Modi will be closely watched for signs of progress on border management, trade and the next stage of diplomatic engagement.
The two countries have moved towards greater high-level contact since the Kazan meeting, but the disputes that drove relations to a low point after Galwan have not disappeared. Saturday’s talks will provide another indication of how far New Delhi and Beijing are prepared to move towards a more stable working relationship.
