His return sets up a closely watched meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bharat Mandapam, as New Delhi and Beijing test whether recent diplomatic progress can produce a more stable relationship after years of border tensions. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit on Saturday, making his first visit to India in nearly seven years.
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Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong confirmed that the two countries were arranging a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Xi.
“China and India are arranging for the bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi,” Xu wrote on X. Beijing said it wants to increase communication and cooperation with New Delhi while “properly handle differences”. Xu said China wants the two countries to “be friends enjoying good neighbourliness and partners helping each other succeed”. She said Beijing wants to approach its relationship with India from a long-term perspective. “China will work with India to act on the strategic guidance of the two leaders, handle bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, step up communication, enhance cooperation, properly handle differences, and be friends enjoying good-neighbourliness and partners helping each other succeed,” Mao said.
Hours before Xi’s expected arrival, Beijing signalled that it wants to improve relations with New Delhi while keeping disagreements under control. Xi has left Beijing for New Delhi to attend the BRICS Summit at the invitation of PM Modi. His delegation includes Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning echoed Xu’s comments ahead of the Modi-Xi meeting.
