Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to travel to New Delhi next month for the BRICS summit with a sizable delegation, according to three sources, marking his first visit in seven years and signaling a renewed easing of tensions between the two rivals.
India is hosting the summit from September 12 to 13, and Xi’s attendance will be observed less for its impact on the BRICS agenda and more for what it indicates about Beijing and New Delhi’s attempts to stabilise relations following the deadly border clashes in 2020.
One Indian source with direct knowledge told Reuters that Chinese authorities are currently occupied with finalizing hotel arrangements and security measures.
Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to China in seven years, yet the bilateral relationship has advanced only slowly. More recently, a new border-related dispute has sparked tense diplomatic exchanges between the two countries.
Two additional Indian sources reported that Xi is expected to arrive with a delegation of roughly 400 officials, up from fewer than 200 officials during his previous visit in 2019.
The sources said officials from both nations are expected to use the summit to discuss how to deepen cooperation while handling long-standing disputes over the border and regional security concerns.
According to the sources, Xi’s final travel schedule and the agenda for any possible bilateral meeting between India and China have not yet been decided.
The Chinese foreign ministry stated that China places great importance on and actively takes part in BRICS cooperation, and that it supports India, the current chair, in successfully organizing this year’s BRICS summit.
India shares its longest international boundary, stretching about 3,800 km, with China, and much of this Himalayan frontier remains largely undefined and disputed.
After decades of relative calm along the border, clashes in 2020 broke the peace, resulting in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers.
The confrontation triggered a four-year military standoff that ultimately concluded with a disengagement agreement in October 2024..
However, on August 12, India stated that maintaining peace along the border was essential for bilateral relations, following reports that Indian and Chinese army patrols had confronted each other in late July near a remote frontier area.
On Monday, India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval began his visit to Beijing to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for discussions on the border issue.
Despite ongoing competition between India and China, U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies have created a common interest, and Xi’s attendance signals that neither side wants external pressure to undermine BRICS.