Xi heads to India for BRICS summit overshadowed by war

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in New Delhi for the BRICS summit on Saturday, marking his first visit to neighboring India since 2019. The summit, attended by leaders from India, Russia, and Iran, comes amid global tensions, including conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as trade and energy challenges. The summit's agenda is expected to focus on these pressing issues, but Xi's visit is also seen as a significant step towards improving relations between the nuclear-armed rivals, who have a long-standing territorial dispute along their disputed Tibetan border.

Tensions remain high due to the unresolved border issue, heavy military deployments, and deep mistrust. Substantial harvest, according to China-India expert Pradeep Taneja, refers to the need for early and substantial results regarding the border issue while maintaining people-to-people and economic relations. Despite the underlying tensions, both sides have shown willingness to engage in dialogue, with Xi set to hold face-to-face talks with PM Narendra Modi later on Saturday.

The summit, which also includes leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Brazil, has been marred by disagreements over the ongoing conflict in Gaza. BRICS foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint statement during a meeting in New Delhi in May, highlighting the Gulf conflict as a central fault line for the bloc. Despite these challenges, the summit aims to strengthen cooperation and enhance the influence of emerging economies in institutions dominated by Western powers.