China’s Xi Jinping likely to attend BRICS summit in Delhi next month, first India visit in 7 years

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, marking his first visit to India in seven years. The Indian Express reports that the Chinese side has informed New Delhi about Xi's likely attendance at the leaders' summit. An advance team from China has already arrived to handle security and protocol arrangements for his potential visit.

It is anticipated that Xi will bring a substantial delegation comprising officials, businessmen, and state-backed media representatives. This visit is seen as a crucial step in restoring ties between India and China, which deteriorated following the border standoff in 2020. The last time Xi visited India was in October 2019, when he attended the second informal bilateral summit of leaders in Mamallapuram near Chennai.

Since then, both countries have made significant progress in stabilising relations, including the resumption of direct flights, visa exchanges, easing of curbs on Chinese firms, and the revival of the pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar. The BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting in May had discussed the agenda for the leaders' summit, with agreement on various issues to be discussed.

However, some challenges persist, such as visa issues for Indian businesspersons traveling to China and reports of tension along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar acknowledged that relations had faced a "particularly bad patch" between 2020 and 2024, primarily due to border issues. Nevertheless, he expressed optimism about a stronger, more self-reliant India that can compete with China on the global stage.