Xi’s India visit was no last-minute decision

President Xi Jinping's visit to India was no impromptu decision, despite the surprise announcement of his participation in the BRICS summit. China had formally initiated the process for Xi's 67-member government delegation to obtain visas as early as August 27, according to sources familiar with the matter. This move came well before the public announcement on Thursday that Xi would travel to New Delhi for the BRICS summit on September 12-13, marking his first visit to India in seven years.

Xi is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a 24-hour visit, arriving in New Delhi at 12.10 pm on Saturday and departing the following day. The visit will also see the arrival of a separate Chinese business delegation. Accompanying Xi will be senior officials, including Cai Qi, a key aide to the Chinese president, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The timing of Beijing's announcement has raised questions, but sources reveal that preparations for Xi's visit had been underway for weeks. The August 27 visa request for Xi's delegation signaled that preparations were already in motion. The visit aims to capitalize on the improved India-China relations since Xi's meeting with Modi at the BRICS summit in Kazan in 2024, where they resolved disputes from the 2020 military standoff in Ladakh.