NEW DELHI — China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that President Xi Jinping will travel to India to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi from September 12–13. The trip marks Xi’s first visit to India in nearly seven years, following his last visit to Mamallapuram in October 2019.
Delegation Size: President Xi will be accompanied by a delegation of roughly 400 Chinese officials—more than double the size of the contingent that accompanied him during his 2019 trip. Key cabinet members, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, are part of the delegation.
Bilateral Engagement: High-level side talks are scheduled, including discussions between Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal regarding bilateral trade controls, investment relaxation, and supply chain dynamics. A bilateral sit-down meeting between President Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected on the sidelines of the summit.
Context of Relations: The visit signals a continued effort toward stabilizing ties after the 2020 border tensions in eastern Ladakh. Diplomatic efforts have picked up over the past two years following a patrolling agreement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) reached in late 2024.
Summit Framework: Hosted at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi under India’s BRICS chairship, the summit will gather key global leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized that Beijing attaches great importance to BRICS cooperation and supports India in successfully hosting this year’s summit.
