New Delhi | September 12, 2026
Report by Swati
Chinese President Xi Jinping is travelling to India to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, marking his first visit to the country in nearly seven years. Xi is visiting India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as world leaders gather in the national capital for the two-day summit on September 12–13.
Xi Jinping departed Beijing on Saturday aboard his special aircraft for New Delhi, according to Chinese state media. His arrival at Air Force Station Palam was scheduled for around 12:25 PM. The biggest diplomatic focus of Xi’s visit will be his much-anticipated bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders are scheduled to meet at 5:45 PM at Bharat Mandapam, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. A High-Stakes Modi-Xi Meeting
The Modi-Xi talks are being closely watched internationally as India and China continue efforts to stabilise bilateral relations after years of tensions along their disputed Himalayan border.
The two sides have made progress since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, including military disengagement at several friction points and the gradual restoration of diplomatic and people-to-people contacts. Direct air connectivity and the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage have also seen moves towards normalisation. However, significant differences remain. The border dispute, trade imbalance, China’s position on Arunachal Pradesh, strategic competition in the Indian Ocean and Beijing’s close relationship with Pakistan remain important challenges in the India-China relationship. BRICS Becomes the Larger Diplomatic Stage
Xi’s arrival comes as New Delhi hosts the 18th BRICS Summit, bringing together leaders and senior representatives from the expanded BRICS grouping.The summit is taking place against a backdrop of geopolitical conflicts, economic uncertainty, trade tensions and growing debate over the future of the global order. Leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation, trade and investment, energy and food security, technology, supply chains and reforms of international institutions. For India, the summit provides an opportunity to project strategic autonomy while strengthening cooperation with major emerging economies and maintaining relationships with the United States, Europe, Russia and other global partners.
Why Xi’s India Visit Matters
Xi Jinping’s return to India carries significance beyond the BRICS platform. It comes after a period of serious friction between the two Asian powers and could provide another opportunity for the leaderships to address unresolved issues and build mechanisms for managing differences.Beijing has signalled its desire to strengthen communication and cooperation with New Delhi while stressing the importance of properly managing differences. The outcome of the Modi-Xi meeting could therefore have implications not only for India-China relations but also for the broader strategic balance in Asia and the future direction of BRICS.
