BRICS Summit: Xi, Modi hold first bilateral talks in New Delhi in seven years

Bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jingping is underway at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. During his conversation PM Modi welcomed Xi and thanked him for his "positive remarks at the BRICS Summit". He also expressed his gratitude for the support and cooperation received from China.

"It gives me great pleasure to extend a warm welcome to you. Thank you very much for your positive remarks at the BRICS Summit. I express my gratitude for the support and cooperation received from China during India's BRICS chairmanship. We now have the opportunity to discuss bilateral cooperation. Once again, a warm welcome to India.

This is for the first time in seven years that PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are holding bilateral talks in New Delhi. Xi's last trip to India was in October 2019, when he attended the informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

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Both the leaders welcomed the steady progress in India-China bilateral relations since their last meeting in Tianjin in August 2025.

Prime Minister Modi highlighted that both sides must be guided by three mutuals- mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest.

They also underscored the need to further promote cultural exchanges, business linkages and greater mobility between the two countries.

On business front both the leaders stressed upon the need to address each other’s concerns, including structural trade imbalance and supply chain issues, and facilitation of meaningful and predictable market access.

As per Chinese foreign minister statement, Xi said China has always approached ties with India from a strategic and long-term perspective. He noted that institutional exchanges between the two countries have resumed, cooperation has expanded and bilateral trade has reached a record high.

“China and India are partners, not rivals, and opportunities, not threats, for each other’s development,” Xi said, according to the Chinese statement.

Xi lays out four-point approach

Xi called for a “win-win” approach focused on development, urging both sides to expand cooperation in areas including people-to-people exchanges and direct flights. He also called for the two countries to address economic and trade concerns in a balanced manner.

On the border issue, Xi said China and India should maintain peace and tranquillity along the frontier while handling differences through “mutual respect and understanding”.

He also called for closer cooperation through the UN, SCO, G20 and BRICS to address global challenges.

Modi, according to the Chinese statement, said India is willing to view China as a partner rather than an adversary and that New Delhi’s ties with Beijing are not influenced by any third party.

The prime minister also backed stronger high-level exchanges, economic cooperation and people-to-people ties, while stressing the need to maintain peace along the border.

Modi thanked China for supporting India’s BRICS summit and said New Delhi would support China’s BRICS chairmanship next year.