Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi from 12 to 13 September 2026, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Thursday.

The announcement sets the stage for a closely watched India‑China engagement on the sidelines of the major multilateral gathering.

According to the statement, Xi will travel to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The confirmation comes after weeks of speculation over Beijing’s representation at the summit and amid signs of renewed diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Beijing.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit at Bharat Mandapam, with the expanded grouping expected to deliberate on trade, financial cooperation, technology, artificial intelligence, energy security, climate action and reforms of global institutions.

Xi’s visit is particularly significant as it marks his first trip to India since his informal meeting with Prime Minister Modi in Mamallapuram in 2019 during the 2nd India‑China Informal Summit. The visit also comes against the backdrop of efforts by both sides to stabilise bilateral ties following years of tensions along the Line of Actual Control.

Any interaction between Modi and Xi during the BRICS gathering is expected to attract considerable diplomatic attention. Ahead of the confirmation, India’s Ambassador to China Vikram Doraiswami had argued for using India’s BRICS presidency to deepen cooperation between the two Asian powers.

In an opinion piece published in the Chinese daily Global Times, Doraiswami emphasised that India and China, as two of the world’s most populous emerging economies, share an interest in maintaining a stable relationship. He described a “stable, predictable, and amicable” relationship as vital not only for their combined population of 2.8 billion but also for global peace, stability and prosperity.

Doraiswami highlighted the opportunity to deepen cooperation on trade, connectivity, climate action, public health and the digital economy, while contributing to a more balanced and inclusive global order. He also recalled Xi’s remarks to Modi last year, where the Chinese leader stressed that India and China are cooperation partners, not rivals, and that they represent opportunities for each other’s development rather than threats.

The ambassador underlined that peace along the India‑China border remains central to the broader relationship. He called for moving forward on the basis of mutual respect, sensitivity and interest, while stressing that differences should not automatically become disputes.

The confirmation follows a period of uncertainty. On 8 September, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning had reiterated Beijing’s support for India’s BRICS presidency but did not disclose Xi’s attendance. The subsequent announcement now puts his participation beyond doubt.

The confirmation also follows a brief but symbolically important interaction between Modi and Xi at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit earlier this month. On 1 September, the two leaders shared a handshake ahead of the family photograph in Bishkek, joined by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Modi had invited Xi to attend the BRICS Summit, and Xi had thanked him while offering China’s support for India’s presidency.

India’s 2026 BRICS presidency is being conducted under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” with New Delhi seeking to place Global South priorities at the centre of the agenda. The two‑day summit is expected to address resilient supply chains, cross‑border payment systems, greater use of national currencies, MSME development, digital trade and artificial intelligence.

Energy security, climate resilience, development finance, expansion of the New Development Bank and reforms of multilateral institutions are also expected to feature prominently. The enlarged 11‑member core grouping now comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

The wider BRICS framework also includes 10 partner countries — Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam — which participate as partners rather than full members.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is also scheduled to attend. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Modi and Putin will hold a bilateral meeting on Friday, 11 September, ahead of the summit. He said the leaders will discuss the bilateral agenda, including trade and economic cooperation, and wished India success in hosting the summit.

India’s fourth BRICS chairmanship builds on its earlier presidencies in 2012, 2016 and 2021. In 2012, New Delhi proposed the creation of a South‑financed multilateral development bank, leading to the establishment of the New Development Bank in 2014. In 2016, India expanded the agenda to include counter‑terrorism, regional connectivity and collective security.

In 2021, amid the COVID‑19 pandemic and border tensions, India hosted the grouping virtually under the theme “BRICS@15: Intra‑BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus,” focusing on public health and economic recovery.

In 2026, New Delhi is seeking to advance priorities related to financial inclusivity, sustainable development, technological cooperation and reform of global governance institutions. With Xi’s confirmation and Putin’s scheduled engagement, the summit is set to provide India with a major platform for high‑level diplomacy involving two of its most consequential strategic partners.

For New Delhi, the gathering carries significance beyond the BRICS agenda, particularly as India seeks to balance cooperation with both Moscow and Beijing while advancing its broader Global South priorities.

ANI