Full Breakdown
Xi Jinping’s First Visit to India in Seven Years Marks a Pivotal Moment for the 2026 BRICS Summit
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Xi’s Arrival and Bilateral Meeting at the BRICS Summit
On September 12, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, his first trip to India since 2019. Accompanying Xi were senior officials Cai Qi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that Xi will hold a face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later that evening, the third such encounter in three years. The two-day summit brings together leaders from Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, alongside the core BRICS members.
Background & Context
The visit follows a deadly border clash in the Galwan Valley in 2020, which left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead and plunged bilateral ties to a six-decade low. Since then, both sides have taken steps to restore high-level contacts: direct flights resumed in 2023, visa procedures were eased in 2024, and a disengagement pact signed in October 2024 led to a full troop pullback by December 2024. The BRICS grouping, founded in 2009 to give emerging economies a greater voice in global governance, has expanded to 11 members and is now a forum where the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East dominate the agenda.
Timeline
- September 12, 2026 – Xi arrives in New Delhi (occurred).
- September 12, 2026 – Scheduled bilateral talks with Modi on the summit sidelines.
- October 2024 – Disengagement pact signed, initiating troop withdrawals.
- December 2024 – Completion of troop pullback to 2020 positions.
Data & Statistics
- Trade: China was India’s largest source of imports in fiscal year 2025/2026, valued at US $132 billion.
- Border length: Reported as 3,800 km and 3,500 km, reflecting differing measurements of the disputed Himalayan frontier.
- Casualties in 2020 clash: 20 Indian and 4 Chinese soldiers killed.
Official Statements & Responses
- A Chinese foreign-ministry spokesperson said China “is willing” to work with India, view relations from a “strategic and long-term perspective,” and be “good neighbours and friends”.
- The Indian Ministry of External Affairs announced that Xi will hold “face-to-face talks” with Modi on Saturday evening.
- China’s ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, said Beijing will “properly handle differences” and act as “friends enjoying good-neighborliness”.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin met Modi on Friday and pledged to deepen the “special” relationship between Russia and India.
Criticism & Opposition
- Lin Minwang, a South Asia expert, warned that “China certainly wants to improve ties, but we are waiting to see to what extent India is actually willing to improve them,” highlighting a persistent “trust deficit.”
- Harsh V. Pant, vice-president of the Observer Research Foundation, described India’s diplomatic balancing act as an effort to maintain strong ties with Washington while engaging Moscow, Beijing and Tehran.
On-the-Ground Reports
- Dalai Lama supporters and other Tibetans staged protests in New Delhi, waving placards opposing Xi’s visit.
Why It Matters
The summit tests the cohesion of an expanded BRICS bloc amid the Ukraine war, the U.S.–Iran conflict, and global energy-trade disruptions. For India, the meeting offers a chance to address a widening trade deficit with China, manage the contested Himalayan frontier, and showcase a “multi-alignment” strategy that avoids binary great-power choices. For China, the visit underscores the importance of BRICS as a platform for advancing a multipolar vision and deepening ties with a key Asian neighbor.