Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit India in September, later this year, for the BRICS Summit, marking his first trip to the country since the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clash that severely strained bilateral relations.
According to media reports, Xi is likely to attend the summit scheduled for September 12-13 in New Delhi. While an official confirmation from either side is still awaited, India has already extended an invitation, and Beijing has expressed strong support for India’s presidency of the grouping.
This potential visit carries significant diplomatic weight. Xi last visited India in October 2019 for the informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu. Months later, the Galwan incident in eastern Ladakh led to a military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), resulting in casualties on both sides and pushing ties to their lowest point in decades.
Bilateral relations have since seen a gradual thaw through sustained military disengagement, diplomatic dialogues, and high-level meetings, including Modi and Xi’s encounter in Kazan in 2024 and the 2025 SCO summit in Tianjin.
Ahead of the summit, both countries are ramping up engagement. A meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs is expected soon, followed by talks between Special Representatives on the boundary question.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is also likely to travel to China for discussions, though dates are yet to be finalized. These steps aim to build on the momentum of recent normalization efforts and address lingering border issues while exploring areas of cooperation.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri recently visited China and held a China-India vice foreign minister and foreign secretary-level dialogue with the Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying.
Responding to the meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday said that the two sides exchanged views on implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries. They discussed ways to continuously strengthen political mutual trust, promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, properly manage differences and frictions, and advance China-India relations on a sound and stable track.
The BRICS Summit itself promises to be a major multilateral event. Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the group has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to attend, setting the stage for possible bilateral meetings with Modi on the sidelines. Other leaders, including from Bangladesh, may participate amid ongoing global challenges such as tensions in West Asia and shifting international trade dynamics.
For India, hosting the summit offers an opportunity to shape the agenda around resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability. Xi’s presence, if confirmed, would be closely watched for signals on the future trajectory of India-China ties, one of Asia’s most critical relationships.
