Chinese President Xi Jinping, PM Modi bilateral in Delhi this weekend on sidelines of BRICS Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to arrive in New Delhi on Saturday for the BRICS summit, in what would be his first trip to India since 2019 and a closely watched test of a cautious thaw for India, China. A formal announcement of the visit could come later on Thursday, officials familiar with protocol said, following the usual practice that the visiting side confirms travel. Chinese President is expected to leave on Sunday after the two-day gathering. He is likely to be accompanied by a large delegation of officials and business leaders, larger than the team that travelled with him on his last India visit.

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Indian PM Modi & Chinese president are expected to meet on the sidelines of the summit on Saturday itself. The encounter would be their first talks on Indian soil in seven years, after a brief handshake last week at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan. The visit comes after a long freeze that followed deadly clashes in the Galwan Valley in 2020. Since late 2024 the two sides have slowly rebuilt channels: special representatives have resumed border talks, flights and pilgrimage routes have restarted, and bilateral trade rose last year to a record $155bn.

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The BRICS meeting itself will also draw Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders from the expanded grouping. For New Delhi, hosting the summit is a chance to project a multipolar agenda. For Beijing, Mr Xi’s presence in India after seven years is a visible signal that high-level diplomacy with New Delhi is back on the calendar.