Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi next month with a significantly larger delegation than in previous years, signalling efforts by Beijing and New Delhi to stabilise their relationship following years of tension.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to travel to India next month for the BRICS summit scheduled for September 12-13, according to three Indian sources with knowledge of the matter. If confirmed, the visit would mark Xi's first trip to India in seven years and come as both nations work to improve ties following border tensions and military clashes.
Sources indicate that Xi would travel with approximately 400 officials, substantially more than the fewer than 200 officials who accompanied him during his last visit in 2019. Indian officials are reportedly finalising hotel accommodations and security arrangements for the high-profile visit. However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has stated it has no information to provide regarding Xi's attendance, while India's diplomatic authorities have declined to comment on the matter.
The potential visit carries significance beyond the BRICS agenda itself. Relations between the two nuclear-armed nations have remained strained since 2020, when border clashes in the Himalayas resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. Although the countries reached a military disengagement agreement in October 2024, fresh tensions emerged in late July when Indian and Chinese army patrols encountered each other near a remote border region. India's National Security Advisor recently travelled to Beijing to discuss boundary issues with Chinese officials.
The two countries share a roughly 3,800-kilometre border in the Himalayas that remains largely undemarcated and disputed. Officials from both nations are expected to use the summit as an opportunity to explore expanded engagement while addressing longstanding differences over border security and regional concerns.
