Chinese President Xi Jinping Travels to India for BRICS Summit Amid Global Conflicts

Chinese President Xi Jinping has left Beijing and is en route to New Delhi to attend a BRICS summit alongside leaders from India, Russia, and Iran. The high-level meeting takes place as ongoing wars, trade issues, and energy concerns test the unity of the divided grouping.

Xi departed on Saturday for the 18th BRICS summit following an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to the Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua. His official entourage includes Foreign Minister Wang Yi and senior Chinese Communist Party official Cai Qi.

Global conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, alongside trade turbulence and energy security matters, are expected to dominate the two-day gathering of the 11-nation bloc. This visit marks Xi's first trip to India since 2019 and represents a significant step in the cautious diplomatic thaw between the nuclear-armed rivals.

The journey comes six years after a deadly 2020 military clash along their disputed Tibetan border. Relations have gradually improved through the restoration of flights, visa services, and high-level diplomatic contacts.

Despite these improvements, the underlying territorial dispute remains unresolved, with both nations maintaining heavy military deployments along their approximately 3,500-kilometre high-altitude border in Tibet. Beijing stated on Friday that it remains ready to work with India by strengthening communication, enhancing cooperation, and properly handling differences.

Xi is scheduled to hold face-to-face talks with Narendra Modi later on Saturday, as reported by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Pradeep Taneja, a China-India expert at the University of Melbourne, noted in statements reported by the AFP news agency that both sides are seeking substantial progress on the border issue.

Nevertheless, deep mistrust persists due to the contested Himalayan frontier, a widening trade deficit, and ongoing strategic rivalry. In response to the visit, dozens of exiled Tibetans and supporters of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, staged protests in New Delhi on Friday, waving placards against Xi's arrival.

Meanwhile, the Russian and Iranian presidents arrived in the Indian capital ahead of the summit. Russian leader Vladimir Putin met with Narendra Modi on Friday to reinforce bilateral ties, while Narendra Modi also held talks with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss regional stability and commerce.

Originally created in 2009, BRICS serves as a forum for major emerging economies striving for greater influence in international institutions historically dominated by Western powers.