China's Xi to attend BRICS summit in New Delhi in 1st India trip since 2019

Visit comes amid gradual thaw in ties strained by 2020 border clash

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a two-day BRICS summit in New Delhi this weekend, marking his first trip to India in seven years, China's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday.

The Chinese president last travelled to India in 2019, months before the start of a military face-off between the two border forces in Ladakh that lasted more than four years and took bilateral ties to a six-decade low.

Ties have gradually improved in recent years, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting China last year and the two countries taking steps to restore high-level engagement.

At the invitation of Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi, President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi from September 12 to 13. pic.twitter.com/abKPwOyqRm

— CHINA MFA Spokesperson 中国外交部发言人 (@MFA_China) September 10, 2026

Read: New Pak-China agri-route opens

Xi will attend the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit at Modi's invitation on Saturday and Sunday, the ministry said.

The BRICS gathering will bring together leaders from across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, 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 are also expected to attend the summit.

All set for BRICS 2026!@BricsIndia2026 pic.twitter.com/nXqqoBmoAm

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 10, 2026

The expanded BRICS membership comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

The group also has partner countries, including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

The last BRICS summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2025. China is due to host the 2027 summit.