PM Modi invites Chinese President Xi to BRICS 2026 Summit in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the BRICS Summit that India will host in 2026. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Xi thanked Modi for the invitation and pledged China's support to India's upcoming presidency of the grouping.

The two leaders met in Tianjin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Their talks came at a time when India is preparing to assume the BRICS leadership from Brazil, which currently holds the presidency. Modi also expressed India's support for China's ongoing SCO presidency and the Tianjin Summit.

The meeting marked the latest in a series of high-level engagements aimed at stabilizing relations between the two Asian neighbours after years of tension. 
The leaders last met in October 2024 in Kazan, Russia, during the BRICS summit. Modi noted that since the disengagement of troops at friction points in Ladakh last year, peace and stability have largely prevailed along the border. Both sides, he said, remained committed to resolving the boundary question "in a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable" manner.

The MEA stated that Modi and Xi acknowledged the work of their Special Representatives, who met earlier this month, and agreed to continue supporting dialogue. They reaffirmed their intention to prevent differences from escalating into disputes and described India and China as "development partners and not rivals."

The two leaders also agreed on strengthening people-to-people ties, including through direct flights, visa facilitation, and the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. They recognized tourism and exchanges as vital channels to sustain positive momentum in bilateral relations.

Trade and economic cooperation featured prominently in the discussions. Modi and Xi acknowledged that the two economies play a stabilizing role in global trade, and underlined the need to expand investment ties while addressing the trade deficit. They also reiterated that both countries pursue strategic autonomy and that their bilateral relations should not be viewed through the lens of third countries.

The Tianjin talks come weeks after Modi, speaking at the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, outlined his vision for India's 2026 presidency. He said India would attempt to give a "new form" to the grouping by focusing on Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability (BRICS). He added that India would prioritise issues of the Global South, continuing the emphasis it placed during its G20 presidency.

At the Rio summit, BRICS leaders adopted commitments on global governance, finance, health, artificial intelligence, climate change, peace, and security. They also endorsed three supplementary frameworks: the BRICS Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance, the Declaration on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence, and the BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases.

Meanwhile in Tianjin, Modi also held talks with Cai Qi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China. Modi shared his vision for bilateral ties and sought support for the broader consensus reached with Xi. Cai, according to the MEA, reiterated China's readiness to expand exchanges and improve relations.

India's hosting of the BRICS summit in 2026 will bring together the grouping's eleven members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran. It will mark India's first BRICS presidency since the bloc's expansion last year, with Modi positioning the forum as a platform for the Global South and for multipolar cooperation.