China President Xi Jinping is likely to attend the BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. If the visit takes place, it would be his first trip to India in about seven years.
India is scheduled to host the BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13 this year. According to a Reuters report citing sources, Xi Jinping may attend the summit with a large delegation. Preparations related to hotel and security arrangements for the visit are reportedly being finalised.
According to some Indian sources, a delegation of around 400 officials may accompany Xi Jinping to India. If this happens, it would be considerably larger than the delegation that accompanied him during his previous visit to India in 2019, when fewer than 200 officials were reported to have travelled with him. However, there has been no official announcement from either India or China regarding Xi Jinping’s visit.
If Xi Jinping visits India, his potential bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be closely watched. The discussions could include the border dispute, bilateral trade, investment, economic cooperation and regional security.
India and China are both important members of BRICS and are among the world’s major emerging economies. A meeting between the two leaders could provide an opportunity for dialogue between the two countries.
Relations between India and China have remained tense since the violent clash in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in 2020. Twenty Indian Army personnel were killed in the incident. A prolonged military standoff between the two countries followed.
After several rounds of military and diplomatic talks, India and China reached an understanding in October 2024 on reducing troop deployment and disengagement along the border. The two sides have since taken some steps towards normalising relations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China in 2025 was also seen as part of this process. However, the border dispute has not been fully resolved, and several issues related to the Line of Actual Control remain sensitive.
India and China share a disputed border of about 3,800 kilometres in the Himalayan region. Large parts of the border have not yet been clearly demarcated. Border-related issues therefore remain important in relations between the two countries.
If Xi Jinping travels to New Delhi for the BRICS Summit 2026, the visit would involve his participation in a multilateral summit as well as an opportunity for dialogue between India and China.
