Agencies | Bejing:
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Thursday, setting the stage for his first visit to India in seven years.
Xi’s visit is being closely watched as a significant diplomatic development in India-China relations, which came under severe strain following the 2020 Galwan Valley border clashes along the Line of Actual Control.
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said Xi would attend the BRICS Summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The confirmation came shortly after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun had said there was no official information available regarding a possible visit by Xi to New Delhi.
Xi last visited India in October 2019, when he held an informal summit with Modi in Mamallapuram near Chennai.
He had earlier travelled to India in 2016 to attend the BRICS Summit in Goa. His first visit to the country came in September 2014, during the first terms of both Xi and Modi as leaders.
His return to India after seven years assumes particular significance given the prolonged tensions between the two countries following the deadly border confrontation in eastern Ladakh in 2020.
The September 12–13 BRICS Summit comes against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, a BRICS member since 2024, more than six months before the summit. The conflict has disrupted regional energy flows and contributed to concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil-shipping chokepoints.
The situation has added another major geopolitical issue to discussions surrounding the expanded BRICS grouping, which has increasingly sought to position itself as a platform representing the interests of emerging economies and the Global South.
BRICS was originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The grouping expanded in 2024 with the admission of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, while Indonesia joined in 2025.
The expanded grouping now brings together 11 major emerging economies, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade, according to the figures cited for the bloc.
The growing size and economic weight of BRICS have increased its significance in debates over global governance, trade, development financing and the international financial system.
Xi’s presence at the summit is expected to add a significant bilateral dimension to the multilateral gathering.
For New Delhi and Beijing, the visit provides an opportunity for the two sides to sustain the diplomatic engagement that has followed years of tension along the border.
While the BRICS Summit will focus primarily on multilateral issues, Xi’s presence in Delhi is likely to attract considerable attention as India and China continue to manage their complex relationship involving border security, trade, regional stability and broader geopolitical interests.
His arrival in New Delhi therefore carries significance beyond the BRICS agenda, offering a high-level setting for India and China to demonstrate their willingness to maintain dialogue while navigating unresolved differences.
