Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the upcoming BRICS summit in New Delhi next month, marking his first visit to India in seven years. This visit is seen as a potential indicator of improved relations between China and India, two countries that have had a complicated history. Sources indicate that Xi will be accompanied by a large delegation, highlighting the significance of this diplomatic engagement.
More recently, a fresh border-related dispute triggered sharp diplomatic exchanges between the two sides. India’s foreign ministry did not comment. Two other Indian sources said Xi was likely to be accompanied by a delegation of about 400 officials, compared with fewer than 200 officials the last time in 2019. Xi missed the last BRICS summit in 2025 in Brazil.
Xi’s final travel plans and agenda for any potential bilateral between India and China are yet to be finalised, the sources said. The Chinese foreign ministry said, “China attaches great importance to and actively participates in BRICS cooperation, and supports India, the current chair, in successfully hosting this year’s BRICS summit. “We currently have no information available to provide” about Xi’s visit, it said.
Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China for the first time in seven years, but the relationship has only improved gradually.
