Xi Jinping to Attend India-Hosted BRICS Summit Amid Global Tensions

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, marking his first visit to India in nearly seven years.

The visit, confirmed by China's foreign ministry, comes as India hosts the expanded grouping amid global conflicts and geopolitical uncertainty. Xi's attendance is seen as for stabilizing bilateral ties between India and China, which have shown signs of gradual improvement after years of tensions along the border, including the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. A bilateral meeting between Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected on the sidelines of the summit to discuss unresolved border issues and the broader direction of their relationship.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to attend, having recently met Modi in Bishkek. The summit agenda includes trade and development, technology, energy and food security, and reform of global institutions. BRICS, which now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Indonesia, accounts for nearly half the world's population and around 40% of global GDP.

The summit faces challenges, including deep internal divisions over the U.S.-led war on Iran, with Iran and the UAE on opposing sides of the conflict. Bangladesh has ruled out Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit, stating he was invited as the BIMSTEC Chair, not as prime minister. India's chairmanship theme is 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' under a 'Humanity First' approach.