China’s President May Visit India in September for BRICS Summit, 400-Member Chinese Delegation Expected
Chinese President Xi Jinping may visit India on September 12 and 13, 2026, to attend the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, according to sources. Xi is expected to be accompanied by a large Chinese delegation of around 400 officials. However, there has been no official confirmation of his visit so far. According to sources, Chinese officials are reportedly working on arrangements related to accommodation and security ahead of the proposed visit. If confirmed, Xi’s visit would mark his first trip to India in nearly seven years. Xi Jinping last visited India in October 2019, when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second informal India-China summit in Mamallapuram near Chennai. At that time, the Chinese delegation accompanying Xi reportedly had fewer than 200 officials. The proposed delegation of around 400 officials this time would therefore be significantly larger. Visit Comes After Years of India-China Tensions Xi’s possible visit comes against the backdrop of efforts to improve relations between India and China following the military confrontation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. In May-June 2020, Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley. Twenty Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers were killed in the confrontation. The incident was followed by a prolonged military standoff, with both countries deploying large numbers of troops and equipment along the border. The tensions significantly affected bilateral relations between New Delhi and Beijing and remained a major challenge for diplomatic engagement between the two countries. Xi Skipped India’s 2023 G20 Summit Xi Jinping also did not visit India when New Delhi hosted the G20 Summit in 2023. China was represented at the summit by Premier Li Qiang. A significant development in India-China relations came in October 2024, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping held a formal bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. The meeting followed an agreement between the two countries on patrolling arrangements along the LAC. Border Issues Could Feature in Talks According to sources, India and China may use the BRICS Summit as an opportunity to explore ways to manage their long-standing border and regional security differences while strengthening areas of cooperation. However, the final details of Xi Jinping’s proposed visit have not yet been officially announced. The agenda for a possible bilateral meeting between Xi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also yet to be finalized. If the visit goes ahead, the proposed India-China engagement could be closely watched for signs of further progress in bilateral ties, particularly on border stability, security concerns and economic cooperation.
From Moscow to Beijing, Washington to Tokyo: India’s Top Officials on Coordinated Diplomatic Push…
India has intensified diplomatic engagements and bilateral meetings with major global powers to strengthen its position on the global stage ahead of the BRICS Summit. The primary objective is to safeguard its national interests in multilateral forums and maintain balance in the global order. Ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi in September 2026, the Indian government has launched a major diplomatic push. Four of India’s most prominent officials and ministers are visiting five key countries to strengthen India’s national interests ahead of the summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his three ministers—Nirmala Sitharaman, S. Jaishankar, Piyush Goyal, and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval—is leading a major diplomatic campaign. These diplomatic meetings will last for three weeks, concluding in the second week of September, immediately following the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is on a highly important official visit to Canada and the United States from August 25 to September 2, 2026. This visit, taking place just before the BRICS Summit, is considered strategically important for India’s economic diplomacy. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s visit to Canada and the United States prioritizes four key agendas: investor meetings, interactions with corporate leaders, strengthening economic ties, and G20 financial discussions. As part of this diplomatic mission, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar recently held a crucial meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. Key areas of economic cooperation, energy and fertilizers, technology and defense were discussed amid preparations for the upcoming Modi-Putin meeting. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is also visiting Japan with a large delegation of 200 Indian business leaders and veterans. The main objective of this visit is to enhance India-Japan bilateral trade and attract significant Japanese investment in India’s infrastructure, high-tech manufacturing, semiconductor, and next-generation industries. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is in Beijing, the capital of China, for the 25th round of India-China Special Representatives’ Dialogue. The main objective of this high-level strategic meeting is to find a lasting solution to the long-standing border issues between the two countries and effectively manage the current tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).