Chinese president to meet PM Modi in New Delhi on September 12-13 as India-China ties show signs of gradual thaw
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit India for the first time in nearly seven years to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, China’s foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday.
Xi’s visit, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is expected to draw close attention amid efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to stabilise bilateral ties and address outstanding issues along their disputed border.
Xi last visited India in October 2019, when he met Modi in Mamallapuram. Relations deteriorated sharply after a military standoff erupted along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in 2020. The Galwan Valley clash in June that year left 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops dead.
The prolonged military face-off began to ease after India and China reached an understanding in October 2024 on disengagement at the remaining friction points of Depsang and Demchok. Modi and Xi met days later on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan and agreed to revive mechanisms for addressing the boundary dispute and improving bilateral relations.
Since then, the two countries have taken several steps towards rebuilding ties, including the resumption of direct flights and the revival of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Diplomatic and military channels have also remained active to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC.
At talks in August, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reached an eight-point consensus covering additional military meeting points, new hotline channels and the reopening of three designated border trading points.
India and China also held their first corps commander-level meeting in the eastern sector in Arunachal Pradesh on September 6.
New Delhi has maintained that sustained peace along the border remains essential for the full normalisation of bilateral ties. Xi’s meeting with Modi during the BRICS summit is therefore expected to be closely watched for signs of further progress.
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