Xi Jinping Likely To Visit India With 400-Member Delegation For BRICS

Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to visit New Delhi on September 12-13 for the BRICS summit with a delegation of around 400 officials, in what could be his first trip to India in seven years and another sign of a cautious thaw between the two Asian powers after years of tensions over their disputed border, media reports say.

The delegation would be more than twice the size of the contingent that accompanied Xi on his last India visit in 2019, when fewer than 200 Chinese officials travelled with him.

Why Xi's India Visit Matters

If confirmed, it would be Xi’s first visit to India in seven years and could include talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders last met at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024, which helped restart efforts towards improving relations. They later met at the SCO Summit in Tianjin, where both sides “welcomed the positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations”.

They also said India and China were “development partners and not rivals” and that differences should not turn into disputes.

The development comes as National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is currently in Beijing for the 25th Round of the SR Talks. He called on Han Zheng, Vice President of China and discussed ways to strengthen peace and tranquility in the border areas and further improve bilateral relations across economic, political and multilateral fora, in accordance with the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries.

400 Officials: Why The Delegation Size Matters

Reuters reported that Xi was expected to travel with a delegation of approximately 400 officials. This would be more than double the number that accompanied him during his previous visit to India in 2019, when the delegation comprised fewer than 200 officials.

"Chinese officials are busy finalising hotels and security protocols," one of the ⁠Indian sources with direct knowledge told Reuters. Xi Jinping's expected presence is likely to draw attention not only to the BRICS discussions but also to what it could indicate about efforts by Beijing and New Delhi to improve ties following the deadly border clashes of 2020.

The border talks come amid efforts to restore some stability in ties. India and China have resumed direct flights, eased some visa restrictions, restarted the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage and reopened border trade routes through Nathu La Pass in Sikkim and Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand.

The Special Representatives’ dialogue, established in 2003, is aimed at finding a political solution to the long-running India-China boundary dispute. The process covers a disputed border stretching over 3,488 km and has seen limited progress over the years.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the prolonged military standoff in eastern Ladakh. High-level engagement remained largely frozen for nearly five years before the talks resumed in December 2024 with the 23rd round in Beijing, followed by the 24th round in New Delhi in August 2025.