China’s Xi likely to visit India with big delegation for first time in seven years
India-China relations have remained strained for years, largely due to ongoing border tensions and territorial disputes.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on Oct 23, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/China Daily)
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
NEW DELHI: Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to attend next month’s BRICS summit in New Delhi with a large delegation, three sources said, in what would be his first visit in seven years and a fresh sign of a thaw between the rivals.
India is hosting the Sep 12 to 13 summit, where Xi’s presence would be watched less for the BRICS agenda than for what it signals about Beijing and New Delhi’s efforts to stabilise relations after deadly border clashes in 2020.
“Chinese officials are busy finalising hotels and security protocols,” one of the Indian sources with direct knowledge told Reuters.
Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China for the first time in seven years, but the relationship has only improved gradually. More recently, a fresh border-related dispute triggered sharp diplomatic exchanges between the two sides.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
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.
Officials from both countries are expected to use the summit to explore ways to expand engagement while managing long-standing differences over the border and regional security issues, the sources added.
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. Xi missed the last BRICS summit in 2025 in Brazil.
India’s foreign ministry did not comment.
INDIA-CHINA BORDER ISSUE
The world’s two most populous nations, both nuclear powers, share a roughly 3,800-km (2,400-mile), largely undemarcated and disputed border in the Himalayas.
Decades of relative peace along the border were shattered by 2020 clashes where 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed. The incident led to a four-year military standoff before reaching a disengagement pact in October 2024.
But on Aug 12, India said peace along the border was critical to ties after reports that Indian and Chinese army patrols came face-to-face in late July near a remote border.
India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday (Aug 24) started his visit to Beijing to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to hold talks on the boundary issue.
While India and China remain competitors, US President Donald Trump’s trade policies have created one area of convergence, making Xi’s attendance a signal that neither side wants external pressure to undermine BRICS.
Source: Reuters/fs
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
