Xi Jinping arrives in New Delhi for BRICS Summit, set for bilateral talks with PM Modi

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, beginning his first visit to India in nearly seven years and setting the stage for a closely watched meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Xi's visit comes at a significant juncture for India-China relations, with both countries seeking to consolidate recent efforts to stabilise ties following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes of 2020.

Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said on X that Xi is accompanied by Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the CPC Central Committee's General Office, and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and China's Foreign Minister.

Modi and Xi are expected to hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. The talks are likely to focus on the broader relationship between the two Asian powers, including maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border and strengthening communication to manage differences.

India has consistently maintained that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential for the continued development of bilateral relations.

The two leaders recently had a brief interaction on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek. Their expected meeting in New Delhi is likely to provide a more substantive opportunity to review the progress made in stabilising bilateral ties.

Xu Feihong said on Friday that China and India were making arrangements for the Modi-Xi meeting and described it as the third consecutive year in which the two leaders would meet, following their meetings in Kazan, Russia, and Tianjin, China.

"China will work with India to act on the strategic guidance of the two leaders, handle the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, step up communication, enhance cooperation, properly handle differences, and be friends enjoying good-neighbourliness and partners helping each other succeed," the ambassador said.

Xi's presence at the summit is also expected to add weight to discussions on the future direction of BRICS, particularly as the grouping expands its role in global economic and geopolitical affairs.

The 18th BRICS Summit is bringing together leaders from member and partner countries as well as outreach invitees. The discussions are expected to cover ways to deepen cooperation within the grouping and exchange views on major global and regional issues.

For India and China, however, the Modi-Xi engagement is likely to remain one of the most closely watched developments on the sidelines of the summit, given the importance of their relationship to regional stability and the wider global economic landscape.