Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to attend next month’s BRICS summit in New Delhi with a large delegation, more than double the Chinese contingent that accompanied him on his last India visit in 2019.s.Xi’s expected visit on September 12-13 with 400 officials, marking his first to India in seven years and comes as the two countries work to stabilise ties after years of tensions over their disputed border, reported Reuters, citing sources.Two Indian sources said Xi was likely to be accompanied by around 400 officials, compared with fewer than 200 during his 2019 visit. “Chinese officials are busy finalising hotels and security protocols,” one Indian source with direct knowledge told Reuters.Xi’s final travel plans and the agenda for any possible bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi are yet to be finalised, the sources said.The Chinese foreign ministry said, “China attaches great importance to and actively participates in BRICS cooperation, and supports India, the current chair, in successfully hosting this year’s BRICS summit.”“We currently have no information available to provide” about Xi’s visit, it added.The expected visit comes as India and China continue high-level efforts to improve ties. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing, with the two sides discussing ways to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border and strengthen relations across economic, political and multilateral platforms.“On 25 August, NSA and Special Representative on the India-China Boundary Question, Ajit Doval called on Han Zheng, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China,” the Embassy of India in China said.Read more: Ajit Doval’s China visit: NSA, Chinese VP Han Zheng discuss border peace, bilateral tiesThe two sides discussed strengthening peace and tranquillity in the border areas and improving bilateral ties “across economic, political and multilateral fora”, the embassy said.Doval is in Beijing for the 25th round of Special Representatives talks on the India-China boundary question with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The talks are expected to cover the border dispute as well as bilateral, regional and international issues.
Share your thoughts in the comments
Be respectful · TOI community guidelines
India-China ties were badly strained after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed. The confrontation led to a prolonged military stand-off along the Line of Actual Control before the two sides reached a disengagement agreement in October 2024.Relations have improved gradually since then, with a series of high-level engagements between Modi and Xi. Their possible meeting in New Delhi during the BRICS summit could give fresh momentum to those efforts.
