- Xi Jinping likely to attend BRICS summit in New Delhi.
- First visit in seven years, signaling India-China thaw.
- Focus on stabilizing relations after 2020 border clashes.
In a major geopolitical development, Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to attend next month's BRICS summit in New Delhi with a large delegation, news agency Reuters reported, citing three sources. If the visit happens, it would be his first visit in seven years and a fresh sign of a thaw between the rivals.
India is hosting the September 12 to 13 summit, where Xi's presence would be watched less for the BRICS agenda than for what it signals about Beijing and New Delhi's efforts to stabilise relations after deadly border clashes in 2020.
"Chinese officials are busy finalising hotels and security protocols," one of the Indian sources with direct knowledge told Reuters.
Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China for the first time in seven years, but the relationship has only improved gradually. More recently, a fresh border-related dispute triggered sharp diplomatic exchanges between the two sides. Two other Indian sources told Reuters that Xi was likely to be accompanied by a delegation of about 400 officials, compared with fewer than 200 officials the last time in 2019.
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Xi Jinping's final travel plans in finalisation phase
Officials from both countries are expected to use the summit to explore ways to expand engagement while managing long-standing differences over the border and regional security issues, Reuters sources added.
Xi's final travel plans and agenda for any potential bilateral between India and China are yet to be finalised, the sources said.
The Chinese foreign ministry said, "China attaches great importance to and actively participates in BRICS cooperation, and supports India, the current chair, in successfully hosting this year's BRICS summit." "We currently have no information available to provide" about Xi's visit, it said. Xi missed the last BRICS summit in 2025 in Brazil.
India's foreign ministry is yet to comment on the report.
Arunachal border tensions likely to get major attention
The major development came as India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval arrived in Beijing on Monday for a two-day visit to take part in the Special Representatives talks on the India-China boundary question with his Chinese counterpart and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
They also come at a time when differences over the border and Arunachal Pradesh continue to figure prominently in India-China bilateral ties.
The ties between New Delhi and Beijing came under severe strain after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the prolonged military stand-off in eastern Ladakh. But both sides have since taken steps to stabilise relations.
Announcing the Special Representatives (SR) talks at a media briefing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, however, skirted a direct response to a question about Xi's visit to India.
If Xi visits India, this would be a major geopolitical moment as his American counterpart, Donald Trump is moving toward levying a new tariff on China that would penalise the world's second-largest economy for flooding the global market with underpriced goods, three people familiar with the matter told AP.
Two of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations still being finalised, said Trump is considering setting the new tariff at 7.5 per cent.
It's a level administration officials believe would not endanger the one-year trade truce between Washington and Beijing or a planned White House meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to take place in late September.
The move, if finalised, appears to be a calibrated effort by the White House to work around a Supreme Court decision earlier this year that struck down Trump''s plan to implement a sweeping, high-tariff scheme not seen since the 1930s.
(With inputs from agencies)