File photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin, China, on August 31, 2025. (Modi website/ANI Photo)
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Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, marking his first visit to India in seven years. Later today, he is scheduled to hold a crucial bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the multi-nation conference at Bharat Mandapam.“Discussions between the two leaders will likely confront several persistent flashpoints, including the unresolved territorial dispute along the border, a heavily skewed trade imbalance favoring Beijing, stringent visa restrictions on both sides, and ongoing state curbs on Chinese investments in critical Indian sectors,” sources tracking the matter said.Despite mutual strategic mistrust, New Delhi and Beijing face mounting pressure to navigate their economic and geopolitical differences to maintain regional stability, especially with US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable trade and tariff policies.India is hosting the two-day summit as the current BRICS chair on September 12-13, bringing together leaders from the expanded 11-nation bloc. Leaders and representatives from all member countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, UAE, Iran and Saudi Arabia are attending the meet.The Modi-Xi talks are expected to centre on the fragile thaw in bilateral relations following the 2020 military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). While both nations have made diplomatic and military strides to stabilise ties and restore periodic high-level exchanges, underlying friction continues to obstruct deeper economic engagement.Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have already held bilaterals with Modi. “Their presence underscores the summit’s high stakes as the grouping navigates shifting geopolitical alignments, ongoing West Asia crisis, energy security concerns, and demands from the Global South for reformed international governance,” the source said.Published on September 12, 2026
