Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to New Delhi, the capital of India, for the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit. The visit marked Xi’s first trip to India in seven years.
Xi was accompanied by Cai Qi, director of the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
A new period of engagement in China-India relations
Xi Jinping last visited India in 2019. In the years that followed, military tensions between the two countries’ border forces continued for more than four years in the Ladakh region, and bilateral relations fell to their lowest level in six decades.
Relations have gradually recovered in recent years. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China last year and steps by both sides to revive high-level contacts contributed to the improvement.
Xi Jinping, who is attending the summit at Modi’s invitation, is scheduled to meet the Indian prime minister on Saturday evening.
Trade and regional developments on the BRICS agenda
Global trade, economic cooperation, and regional and international developments are expected to be discussed at the two-day summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are also attending the meeting, which brings together leaders from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
The expanded BRICS group includes Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam have partner-country status.
The previous BRICS summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2025. China is scheduled to host the summit in 2027.
