China's Xi Jinping to attend BRICS summit in Delhi on September 12-13

The Chinese President's visit comes amid a gradual thaw in India-China ties following years of military tensions and diplomatic strain after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, China's Foreign Ministry said. He is also likely to meet with PM Modi bilaterally on the sidelines of the summit on September 12.

The Chinese President's visit comes amid a gradual thaw in India-China ties following years of military tensions and diplomatic strain after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.

The proposed Modi-Xi meeting would be the first face-to-face bilateral talks between the two leaders since the deadly Galwan clash. Xi's visit will also be his first trip to India in seven years and his first since the 2020 border crisis.

The two leaders recently shared the stage at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Kyrgyzstan, where they shook hands but did not hold a formal bilateral meeting.

Ahead of Xi's visit, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval travelled to China for high-level discussions. The Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs has also met, followed by talks between the two countries' Special Representatives on the boundary question.

India and China have taken steps to stabilise ties following the disengagement of troops from several friction points along the Line of Actual Control. However, the broader boundary dispute remains unresolved. The Galwan clash in June 2020 left 20 Indian soldiers dead, while China later acknowledged the deaths of four of its soldiers.

A Modi-Xi meeting could cover the boundary question, regional security, trade and investment, people-to-people exchanges and mechanisms to prevent renewed escalation along the LAC.

The BRICS Summit will be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, with India holding the group's chair this year. The summit comes as India and China navigate wider geopolitical and economic challenges, including US tariff measures and instability in West Asia.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

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