Chinese President Xi Jinping is anticipated to travel to India next month for the BRICS summit, sources cited by Reuters indicate. This would mark President Xi's first visit to India in seven years, signaling a potential thaw in relations between the two Asian giants.
India is slated to host the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The prospective visit by Xi Jinping comes at a crucial time as New Delhi and Beijing continue to navigate efforts to stabilize their relationship following the deadly border clashes in 2020.
Anticipated Delegation and Preparations
Sources suggest that President Xi is likely to be accompanied by a substantial delegation, potentially comprising around 400 officials. This number would more than double the size of the delegation that accompanied him on his last visit in 2019, highlighting the significance of the upcoming summit. An Indian source with direct knowledge of the preparations noted that Chinese officials are actively engaged in finalizing hotel accommodations and security protocols for the high-level visit.
While the final travel plans for President Xi and the specific agenda for any potential bilateral discussions with India are still being finalized, the groundwork for the visit is clearly underway.
Border Talks Precede Summit
In a significant precursor to the potential summit, India's National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval, held discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. Their talks focused on boundary issues and the broader bilateral relationship between the two nations.
Doval and Wang serve as the designated Special Representatives for the India-China boundary talks mechanism, which was established in 2003 to address the long-standing dispute along the 3,488-kilometer border. Prior to this, Doval also met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng to discuss strengthening peace and tranquility in border areas and improving bilateral ties across various forums, including economic, political, and multilateral.
These discussions unfold against a backdrop of ongoing differences concerning the border and the territorial dispute over Arunachal Pradesh.
Gradual Improvement in India-China Ties
Relations between India and China deteriorated sharply following the Galwan Valley clash in 2020, which resulted in casualties on both sides. This incident led to a four-year military standoff before a disengagement pact was reached in October 2024. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China last year for the first time in seven years, the improvement in ties has been gradual.
Officials from both countries are expected to leverage the upcoming BRICS summit to explore avenues for expanded engagement while carefully managing existing differences related to the border and regional security. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has emphasized Beijing's commitment to BRICS cooperation and its support for India, the current chair, in hosting the summit. However, the ministry stated that it currently has no specific information regarding President Xi's visit. Notably, President Xi did not attend the 2025 BRICS summit held in Brazil.