Xi Jinping lands in New Delhi for BRICS Summit: What to expect from Modi-Xi talks

BRICS Summit: Xi last visited India in 2019 for an informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mamallapuram near Chennai. The most recent meeting between the two leaders was on 31 August , 2025, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China.Chinese President Xi Jinping and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 23, 2024. (VIA REUTERS)BRICS Summit: Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in New Delhi today to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. This visit marks Xi's first trip to India in seven years – a step that is expected to boost the overall trajectory of bilateral relations.The Chinese leader was received at the Delhi airport by Union Minister Jitin Prasada, as cultural artistes performed traditional dances to welcome Xi.Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host President Xi for bilateral talks on Saturday evening.Xi last visited India in 2019 for an informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mamallapuram near Chennai. The most recent meeting between the two leaders was on August 31, 2025, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China.Xi is accompanied by two of the most influential figures in his political and foreign-policy establishment – Cai Qi and Wang Yi. Cai is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, is one of Xi's closest confidants. Wang, China's foreign minister, has been at the centre of Beijing's foreign policy for more than a decade.Modi-Xi meeting on SaturdayThe Modi-Xi meeting is scheduled for 5.45 PM on Saturday Bharat Mandapam, the grand venue of BRICS Summit.Xi's India visit is expected to be a high-profile diplomatic engagement with implications for the ongoing efforts to stabilise bilateral ties between the two Asian powers as well as for BRICS cooperation amid a volatile global situation, particularly the West Asia conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war, news agency PTI said.As the current chair of the influential grouping, India will host the 18th BRICS Summit.Before the 2019 visit, Xi had visited Goa in 2016 to attend the BRICS summit. Xi made his first visit to India in September 2014, when he held extensive talks with Modi. The 2014 visit came during the first terms of both leaders.India and China to normalise relationsXi's forthcoming visit is significant, as it comes amid efforts by India and China to normalise relations after a prolonged freeze following the 2020 Eastern Ladakh standoff.Ahead of Xi's visit, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held extensive talks in Beijing last month on the boundary issue, maintaining peace along the border and steps to improve bilateral relations.During the 25th round of Special Representatives' talks held in Beijing on August 25, the two sides reached an eight-point consensus and agreed to advance discussions on an "Early and Substantial Harvest" of boundary delimitation and border management.Against the backdrop of these substantive discussions on the boundary and wider bilateral issues, a Modi-Xi meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit is expected to be closely watched for indications of the future course of India-China relations.What is on the agenda?The discussions are expected to cover a wide range of shared interests, including expanding intra-BRICS trade, strengthening payment systems, boosting cooperation in science and technology, addressing climate change, and coordinating positions on major international issues.Xi will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising government officials and top business leaders. Both sides have rolled out a series of confidence-building measures over the past year to repair ties frayed by the more than four-and-a-half-year military standoff in eastern Ladakh.In their talks, Modi and Xi are expected to review the overall situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and explore additional avenues, including expanding trade and investment ties, as part of efforts to normalise bilateral relations, people familiar with the matter said.Key platform for emerging economiesThe New Delhi BRICS summit will bring together the world's major emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, with multilateral cooperation expected to remain at the core of the grouping's agenda.BRICS has evolved into a key platform for emerging economies to advocate for greater representation in global governance, reform international financial institutions, strengthen trade and investment links, and advance sustainable development goals.Xi's forthcoming visit is significant, as it comes amid efforts by India and China to normalise relations after a prolonged freeze.Xi's participation underscores Beijing's continued commitment to the BRICS framework and its role in shaping a more inclusive global order, officials in China were quoted as saying by news agencies.(With agency inputs)