2026 BRICS meeting of ministers, New Delhi, PIB/Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India
China’s President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi from September 12 to 13, in his first visit to India in seven years.
The last time Xi visited India was for the 2019 informal summit with Prime Minister Modi in Mamallapuram, near Chennai.
A bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi is expected on September 12, the summit’s opening day, marking their first such talks in six years.
The summit will also be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
Delhi is preparing for major closures on September 11, with schools, colleges, courts and offices set to remain shut in parts of the city.
Diplomatic sources indicate Modi and Xi are expected to hold bilateral talks on September 12, the opening day of the leaders’ summit.
This will be the first Modi-Xi bilateral meeting in six years, coming after a prolonged period of tension following the 2020 Galwan Valley border clash.
Delhi is set to see major closures on September 11 ahead of the summit, with schools, colleges, courts and offices remaining shut in parts of the city.
The BRICS grouping, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded in recent years to include additional member nations.
This year’s summit is the 18th edition of the BRICS gathering, with India hosting the group’s leaders in New Delhi.
Security preparations for the summit have included anti-terror drills conducted by the National Security Guard in the lead-up to the event.
China’s confirmation of Xi’s attendance ends weeks of diplomatic speculation over whether the Chinese president would travel to India for the summit.
Xi Jinping last visited India in 2019 for an informal summit with Prime Minister Modi in Mamallapuram near Chennai, before India-China relations were strained by the 2020 border crisis.
2026 BRICS meeting of ministers, New Delhi, PIB/Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India
