BRICS Summit 2026: PM Modi, Xi Jinping expected to hold first bilateral after six years

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to arrive in New Delhi on Saturday for the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit, paving the way for a potential bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 12, according to an India Today report. The encounter would mark their first face-to-face bilateral talks on Indian soil since the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clash.

The impending engagement carries immense diplomatic weight as both Asian giants attempt to consolidate a cautious thaw following years of severe military standoff along the Line of Actual Control, diplomatic estrangement, and a sharp downturn in bilateral economic engagement.

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While the two leaders briefly shared the stage and exchanged a handshake at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan no formal bilateral dialogue took place there. The upcoming Summit hosted by India on September 12-13 marks Xi’s first visit to the country in seven years and his first since the border crisis erupted in 2020.

Though neither New Delhi nor Beijing has issued a formal statement confirming the high-stakes agenda, India Today reported that diplomatic observers are closely watching the development as a crucial step toward stabilising relations across the region.

World leaders, senior government officials, and international delegations from 11 member countries and partner nations are converging in New Delhi as Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosts the 18th BRICS Summit this week.

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The high-profile gathering highlights the diplomatic clout of the expanded bloc, drawing heavyweights including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The lineup of leaders attending the two-day summit also features South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.