Xi Jinping to visit India for BRICS, first trip in 7 years confirmed

China has confirmed that Xi Jinping will travel to India for the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, set for September 12 to 13.

This will be Xi’s first visit to India in seven years, following the 2019 informal summit with Prime Minister Modi in Mamallapuram, near Chennai.

A bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi is expected on September 12, marking their first talks in six years.

Also attending the summit are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

Delhi is preparing for closures on September 11, with schools, colleges, courts and offices shutting in parts of the city ahead of the summit.

Delhi is set to see major closures on September 11 ahead of the summit, with schools, colleges, courts and offices remaining shut in parts of the city.

The BRICS grouping, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded in recent years to include additional member nations.

This year’s summit is the 18th edition of the BRICS gathering, with India hosting the group’s leaders in New Delhi.

Security preparations for the summit have included anti-terror drills conducted by the National Security Guard in the lead-up to the event.

China’s confirmation of Xi’s attendance ends weeks of diplomatic speculation over whether the Chinese president would travel to India for the summit.

Xi Jinping last visited India in 2019 for an informal summit with Prime Minister Modi in Mamallapuram near Chennai, before India-China relations were strained by the 2020 border crisis.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto are among the other leaders expected to attend the summit.

Diplomatic sources indicate Modi and Xi are expected to hold bilateral talks on September 12, the opening day of the leaders’ summit.

2026 BRICS meeting of ministers, New Delhi, PIB/Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India