Xi Jinping likely to visit India after 7 years for BRICS summit, may bring 400-member delegation

Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to visit India next month for the BRICS summit, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing sources. This would be Xi's first visit to the country in seven years.

India will host the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.

Xi's possible visit comes as New Delhi and Beijing work to stabilise ties after the deadly 2020 border clashes.

Sources told Reuters that Xi is likely to attend the summit with a large delegation. The delegation could include about 400 officials, more than double the number who accompanied Xi on his last visit in 2019.

According to the report, one Indian source with direct knowledge said Chinese officials were "busy finalising hotels and security protocols".

Xi's final travel plans and the agenda for any possible bilateral meeting with India are yet to be finalised.

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Border Talks Gain Significance

Ahead of Xi's visit, India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who is in Beijing, held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday. They discussed boundary issues and broader ties.

Doval and Wang are the designated Special Representatives for the India-China boundary talks mechanism, established in 2003 to address the dispute along the 3,488-km border.

Before the talks, Doval met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. The two discussed strengthening peace and tranquillity in border areas and improving bilateral ties across economic, political, and multilateral forums, according to the Indian Embassy.

The talks are taking place as differences over the border and Arunachal Pradesh remain part of the relationship.

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A Gradual Thaw

India-China ties deteriorated sharply after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed. The clash led to a four-year military standoff before the two sides reached a disengagement pact in October 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China last year for the first time in seven years. But ties have improved only gradually.

Officials from both countries are expected to use the BRICS summit to explore ways to expand engagement while managing differences over the border and regional security, according to the report.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing attaches importance to BRICS cooperation and supports India, the current chair, in hosting the summit. "We currently have no information available to provide" on Xi's visit, the ministry said.

Xi did not attend the 2025 BRICS summit in Brazil.

India and China share a roughly 3,800-km, largely undemarcated and disputed Himalayan border.