Xi Jinping Heads to India for BRICS Summit, Modi Meeting in Focus

New Delhi, September 12, 2026 Chinese President Xi Jinping has departed Beijing for New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, putting his first India visit in nearly seven years in the spotlight. His scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes as New Delhi and Beijing continue efforts to stabilise relations after the prolonged tensions that followed the 2020 Eastern Ladakh standoff. Xi is visiting India at Modi’s invitation and is expected to hold talks with the Prime Minister on the sidelines of the summit. His delegation includes Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said this will be the third consecutive year that Modi and Xi have met, following their meetings in Kazan and Tianjin. “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,” she said. Xi’s participation also comes as BRICS seeks to strengthen cooperation amid a turbulent international environment. Mao said the Chinese President will address the summit and exchange views with other leaders on the international situation, the development of BRICS mechanisms and deeper practical cooperation. Referring to the Iran-US conflict and the Ukraine-Russia war, she said China advocates a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable approach to security. “We are committed to promoting the political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue. We look forward to working with fellow BRICS countries to promote dialogue and negotiation to resolve differences and jointly safeguard regional and global peace and stability,” she said. The visit follows renewed diplomatic engagement between India and China on the boundary issue. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Wang Yi held extensive discussions in Beijing last month on the border situation, maintaining peace and tranquillity and improving 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 towards an early and substantial harvest on boundary delimitation and border management. Xi’s previous India visit was in 2019 for the informal summit with Modi in Mamallapuram; he had earlier attended the 2016 BRICS Summit in Goa and visited India for the first time in 2014. India is hosting the September 12-13 summit as the current BRICS chair, with the grouping now considerably larger than its original five-member format. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia joined in 2024, while Indonesia became a member in 2025, alongside a wider group of partner countries. India assumed its fourth BRICS chairmanship on January 1, and 2026 also marks 20 years since the grouping’s establishment. With China scheduled to take over the rotating chairmanship after the New Delhi summit, Xi’s visit could give fresh momentum to both BRICS cooperation and the ongoing India-China diplomatic engagement.