China’s Xi Jinping to attend BRICS summit in Delhi on September 12-13

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 11, 2026: Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.

At the invitation of Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi, President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi from September 12 to 13," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson wrote on X, announcing Xi’s visit to the summit.

The visit comes against the backdrop of the prolonged strain in India-China ties following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. Prime Minister Modi is also likely to hold a bilateral meeting with Xi on the sidelines of the summit — the first such one-on-one interaction between the two leaders since the border crisis, according to sources.

The expected PM Modi-Xi meeting is likely to be closely watched for signs of how far the recent thaw in relations can progress, particularly on the border issue and broader bilateral ties.

XI JINPING’S FIRST INDIA VISIT SINCE 2019

Xi’ Jinping’s upcoming visit will be his first trip to India since 2019. His last visit came in October that year, when he travelled to Mamallapuram for an informal summit with Modi.

The relationship between the two countries changed dramatically the following year after the Galwan Valley clash in eastern Ladakh, in which 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers were killed.

The clash triggered a prolonged military standoff along the LAC and led to a sharp deterioration in political and diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Beijing.

Since then, the two sides have held multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks to address the border situation. While several issues have remained unresolved, sustained engagement has helped prevent the border tensions from completely derailing the broader India-China relationship.

PM MODI-XI JINPING MEETING IN FOCUS

According to sources, the two leaders are likely to hold a bilateral meeting on September 12. If it goes ahead, it would be their first one-on-one bilateral interaction since the 2020 clash.

The meeting would provide an opportunity for the two sides to review the progress made in stabilising relations and discuss issues that continue to affect the bilateral relationship.

The border situation is expected to remain an important part of the broader India-China engagement, given that the military tensions following Galwan fundamentally altered ties between the two countries.

The two leaders could also discuss ways to strengthen broader engagement between India and China as both sides seek to prevent differences from spilling over into other areas of the relationship.

DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT GATHERS PACE

Xi’s visit comes after a period of renewed high-level engagement between New Delhi and Beijing.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi have also engaged on the boundary question through the Special Representatives mechanism.

The continued diplomatic engagement has been part of efforts to address the long-running border tensions while keeping the larger bilateral relationship on a more stable footing.

Against this backdrop, Xi’s presence in New Delhi is being seen as an important opportunity for India and China to take forward their recent efforts to improve ties.

TRADE AND ECONOMIC TIES

The relationship between India and China extends well beyond the border dispute, with trade and economic ties forming another important part of the bilateral equation.

The deterioration in political relations after 2020 affected business and investment ties between the two countries. India subsequently tightened scrutiny of Chinese investments and companies in several areas, while travel and other forms of people-to-people engagement were also affected.

The recent thaw in relations has raised expectations of greater economic engagement, although significant differences and concerns remain.

A meeting between PM Modi and Xi could provide an opportunity for the two sides to discuss the need for greater predictability in their economic relationship and ways to expand bilateral engagement.

WHY XI’S BRICS VISIT MATTERS

Xi is travelling to India to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, making his presence important not only for India-China ties but also for the wider grouping.

The summit will bring together leaders of the BRICS countries at a time when the grouping has expanded and is playing a larger role in discussions on global economic and geopolitical issues.

For India, hosting Xi provides an opportunity to engage directly with China’s top leadership while also advancing its priorities within BRICS.

For Beijing, Xi’s visit comes at a time when China is seeking stronger engagement with India and other major countries of the Global South.

The BRICS platform could therefore provide a broader setting for the two countries to manage their differences while exploring areas of cooperation.