Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday for the 18th BRICS Summit, marking his first visit to India since 2019 as Beijing and New Delhi pursue a cautious thaw in relations after years of border tensions.
Xi is attending the two-day summit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is accompanied by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and senior officials from the Communist Party of China.
The BRICS summit brings together leaders of the bloc’s 11 member states at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global trade disruptions, energy security and economic cooperation are among the meeting’s central agenda items.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also arrived in India ahead of the summit. Modi met both leaders on Friday, discussing regional security, trade and maritime stability, including the importance of keeping international shipping routes open.
First India visit since deadly border clashes
Xi’s visit is widely viewed as the most significant diplomatic engagement between China and India since the deadly 2020 clashes along their disputed Himalayan border, which pushed relations to their lowest point in decades.
Since late 2025, the two countries have gradually resumed direct flights, eased visa restrictions and restored several high-level diplomatic exchanges after reaching agreements to reduce military tensions along parts of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Despite those steps, the roughly 3,500-kilometer disputed frontier remains unresolved, and troops from both countries continue to maintain heavy deployments in several border sectors.
China has said it is willing to strengthen communication with India, properly manage differences and expand practical cooperation while preventing border disputes from dominating the broader relationship.
BRICS expands its geopolitical role
BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa has expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, making it one of the world’s largest geopolitical and economic blocs.
The summit is expected to focus on expanding trade in local currencies, accelerating work on the proposed BRICS Development Bank, strengthening cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, energy and transport connectivity, and coordinating positions on major global conflicts.
Indian officials have described the summit as an opportunity to reinforce BRICS as a platform for cooperation among emerging economies rather than a military or political alliance.
Xi and Modi are expected to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit, with border management likely to remain a priority alongside trade and investment.
Ahead of Xi’s visit, dozens of Tibetan exiles demonstrated in New Delhi, calling attention to China’s policies in Tibet and urging India not to overlook human rights concerns during the summit.
Indian authorities increased security across parts of the capital as BRICS leaders gathered for one of the bloc’s largest meetings since its expansion.
