Xi Jinping to Visit India for BRICS Summit, Signaling Easing Border Tensions
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit India this week to participate in the BRICS summit in New Delhi. This trip, scheduled for September 12-13, represents President Xi’s first journey to India since 2019 and signifies a tentative thawing of relations between the two Asian giants after significant border tensions in 2020.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit will be held in New Delhi.
Relations between China and India deteriorated sharply after a border clash in the Ladakh region in 2020, which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese personnel. Despite the severe setback, both nations have undertaken steps in recent years to de-escalate tensions and resume high-level engagements, with Prime Minister Modi having visited China last year.
In addition to President Xi, the BRICS summit is expected to be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and leaders from Indonesia and other BRICS member states.
Reuters has reported that a bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi is also a possibility. Potential discussion points are anticipated to include political relations, economic cooperation, and efforts to stabilize the bilateral relationship.
