Xi Jinping to Visit India After Seven Years, Likely to Meet Modi in Delhi

Chinese President Xi Jinping is finally set to visit India after seven years. He will travel to the country to attend the BRICS summit of emerging economies, scheduled to be held in the capital New Delhi this weekend. China’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed the visit.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the Chinese president is attending the summit in response to a formal invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There is also a strong possibility of a significant bilateral meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

Thaw in Beijing-New Delhi Relations

Relations between China and India deteriorated sharply following the bloody clash along the Ladakh border in 2020. After several years of military and diplomatic tensions, the two countries have recently taken positive steps towards normalising relations. These include the resumption of direct flights between the two countries last October and the recent reopening of border trade.

Analysts believe a possible Xi-Modi meeting in Delhi could play a major role in resolving existing disputes between the two major powers.

Chinese President on a Busy Diplomatic Schedule

Xi Jinping is going through an exceptionally busy diplomatic period this month. He recently concluded a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan and a bilateral visit to Egypt.

After the BRICS summit in India, he is expected to travel to the United States towards the end of the month, where he will hold a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump.

It is worth noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will also attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi.