Xi Jinping to visit India for BRICS summit after nearly seven years

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit India this week for the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, marking his first trip to the country in nearly seven years and raising expectations of a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid efforts to stabilise bilateral ties.

At the invitation of Modi, Xi will attend the summit on September 12 and 13, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

Sources here said Xi is expected to meet Modi on the sidelines of the summit.

The visit comes against the backdrop of efforts by India and China to normalise relations following a prolonged freeze after the 2020 Eastern Ladakh standoff. It is expected to be closely watched for indications of the direction of bilateral ties, particularly on the boundary question.

Ahead of Xi's visit, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held extensive talks in Beijing last month on the boundary issue, maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border and measures to improve bilateral relations.

During the 25th round of Special Representatives' talks on August 25, the two sides reached an eight-point consensus and agreed to advance discussions on an "Early and Substantial Harvest" of boundary delimitation and border management.

Against this backdrop, a Modi-Xi meeting at the BRICS summit could assume significance for the broader India-China engagement.

Xi last visited India in 2019 for an informal summit with Modi in Mamallapuram near Chennai. He had earlier travelled to Goa in 2016 for the BRICS summit and made his first visit to India in September 2014, when he held extensive talks with Modi.

India, the current chair of BRICS, will host the two-day summit in New Delhi, bringing together the major emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The grouping has emerged as a key platform for emerging economies to seek greater representation in global governance, push for reforms in international financial institutions, strengthen trade and investment ties and advance sustainable development.

Discussions at the summit are expected to cover areas including intra-BRICS trade, payment systems, science and technology cooperation, climate change and coordination on major international issues, amid global uncertainty arising from conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine.

BRICS expanded in 2024 with the inclusion of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, while Indonesia joined in 2025.

Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became BRICS partner countries last year.

The grouping now comprises 11 major emerging economies and represents around 49.5 per cent of the global population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade.

India's BRICS chairship for 2026 is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", reflecting Modi's vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of "Humanity First".

India assumed its fourth BRICS chairship on January 1, having previously chaired the grouping in 2012, 2016 and 2021. The year 2026 also marks 20 years since BRICS was established.

Over the years, the grouping has expanded its cooperation across political and security issues, economy and finance, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.