Story perspectives

India rejects Alipay link amid Xi-Modi BRICS meeting

By Drooid · Sep 12, 2026, 10:14 AM UTC · How we work

Left

Xi Visits BRICS

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on September 12, 2026, for the 18th BRICS summit and met Narendra Modi.
Chinese firms and equipment faced heightened scrutiny, visa delays, and trade restrictions, harming Indian workers and businesses.
Dozens of Tibetan exiles protested Xi’s arrival in New Delhi, waving anti-visit signs.
India rejected Alipay’s link to its instant payments system over national-security concerns.

Right

Xi Attends BRICS

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on September 12, 2026 to attend the 18th BRICS summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India remained wary of Chinese investment in defence, finance and telecom sectors despite the high-level visit.
Direct passenger flights to China were resumed after previously being suspended.
The government streamlined business visas for Chinese professionals to facilitate trade while maintaining security checks.

Center

Xi Meets Modi

President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on September 12, 2026 to attend the 18th BRICS summit and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The visit is framed as a step toward normalizing China-India relations, with leaders expected to discuss trade and border disputes.
Indian media showed Xi stepping off a red-carpet amid traditional Indian dance performances.
A Chinese ministry spokesperson said China will manage differences and be a good neighbour partner.

History

Historical Context

Since Jiang Zemin’s 1996 visit and the 2003 Indian recognition of Tibet (and China’s 2004 recognition of Sikkim), India-China trade surged to about $65 billion by 2015, reflecting a series of high-level talks. Xi Jinping’s 2026 visit for the 18th BRICS summit revisits this pattern, as Modi scrutinises Chinese firms while balancing economic ties with security concerns.

1 of 4

Xi Visits BRICS

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on September 12, 2026, for the 18th BRICS summit and met Narendra Modi.
Chinese firms and equipment faced heightened scrutiny, visa delays, and trade restrictions, harming Indian workers and businesses.
Dozens of Tibetan exiles protested Xi’s arrival in New Delhi, waving anti-visit signs.
India rejected Alipay’s link to its instant payments system over national-security concerns.

1 / 4