Xi Jinping Arrives in Delhi for BRICS Summit and Bilateral Talks with Modi
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday for a two-day visit to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, marking his first trip to India in seven years. He was received at Palam Airport, where he was welcomed with a red carpet ceremony and traditional dance performances showcasing India's cultural heritage. Union Minister Jitendra Prasada received him at the airport, and the visiting delegation included senior government officials and top business leaders.
The BRICS Summit, hosted at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, brings together leaders from member countries, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. The summit is being held amid geopolitical tensions stemming from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the resulting disruption to global energy, trade, and transport, as reported by The Hindu Business Line.
Bilateral Talks on Trade and Border Issues
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to host President Xi for bilateral talks on Saturday evening. The discussions are expected to focus on boosting trade and investment ties, as well as addressing outstanding issues between the two countries. Reports indicate that the two leaders will likely review the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and explore further ways to normalise bilateral relations. This meeting, slated for around 6 pm, will be their third in three years, according to a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry.
The visit follows a series of high-level exchanges between India and China, including the Special Representative dialogue in Beijing between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. That dialogue, held late last month, focused on the delimitation of the frontier, trans-boundary cooperation, and maintaining peace along the LAC. Both Doval and Wang are designated Special Representatives for the boundary talks mechanism established in 2003 to address the dispute over the India-China border, which spans 3,488 km.
Rebuilding Ties After the 2020 Clash
Xi's visit comes as India and China cautiously work to rebuild relations that were severely strained following a military clash on their disputed Himalayan border in 2020, in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed, as reported by The Hindu Business Line. The eastern Ladakh standoff, which lasted more than four and a half years, led to a deterioration in ties. Over the past year, both sides have introduced a series of confidence-building measures to stabilise the relationship.
Ahead of the visit, China's foreign ministry spokesperson said that China "is willing" to work together with India, to view bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, properly manage differences, and be "good neighbours and friends, as well as mutually supportive partners." The spokesperson's remarks were reported by The Hindu Business Line.
Context of the Visit
This visit marks Xi's first to India since his informal summit with Modi in Mamallapuram in 2019. Modi and Xi previously held wide-ranging talks on August 31 last year on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China. The latest visit is seen as an opportunity to further normalise relations, with expectations that the leaders will review the overall situation along the LAC and discuss expanded trade and investment ties, according to people familiar with the matter, as cited by ThePrint.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, concerns remain over Chinese military posturing along the Arunachal Pradesh sector, as noted in several reports. The visit is closely watched for its potential to shape bilateral relations and broader BRICS cooperation.