New Delhi is set to host a potentially landmark diplomatic event as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to hold their first bilateral talks in six years. This highly anticipated meeting is slated to occur on September 12, 2026, during the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit.
A Significant Diplomatic Engagement
The proposed face-to-face discussion on Indian soil would mark a critical juncture for India-China relations, representing the first such bilateral dialogue since the deadly Galwan Valley clash in 2020. President Xi Jinping's arrival in New Delhi for the summit also signifies his first visit to India in seven years, and his first since the border crisis erupted.
While the two leaders briefly exchanged a handshake at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, no formal bilateral discussions took place there. The upcoming engagement carries immense diplomatic weight, as both nations seek to consolidate a cautious thaw following years of military standoffs along the Line of Actual Control, diplomatic estrangement, and a downturn in economic ties.
BRICS Summit Draws Global Leaders
The 18th BRICS Summit, hosted by Prime Minister Modi, is attracting world leaders and senior government officials from the expanded bloc's 11 member countries and partner nations. Although neither New Delhi nor Beijing has issued a formal statement confirming the high-stakes bilateral agenda, diplomatic observers are closely monitoring developments as a crucial step toward stabilising relations across the region.
Prominent figures attending the two-day summit include:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin
- Chinese President Xi Jinping
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian
- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
- Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto
The high-profile gathering underscores the growing diplomatic influence of the expanded BRICS bloc on the global stage.