Lifting the lid off the suspense cauldron, Chinese authorities have confirmed Xi Jinping’s visit to India for attending the 18th edition of BRICS Summit on 12-13 Sep 26 in New Delhi. Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping have met nearly 20 times, on multiple occasions, both bilaterally and on the sidelines of multilateral summits. Post the incendiary “Doklam Standoff” in 2017, the two summits held at Wuhan in 2018 and Mamallapuram, near Chennai, in 2019 were immensely important, as both sides sought diplomatic process to manage differences and improve strategic ties. This enunciated charting of a normal course in the diplomatic trajectory, till the gory Galwan clashes took place in 2020. Further ascending on the politico-military trajectory, the October 2024 agreement on Depsang and Demchok can be heralded as a landmark waypoint.
This enabled disengagement from the remaining friction points which emerged in 2020 and apparently, simplified patrolling along the border. Beyond the border, the thaw has now clearly expanded to the resumption of the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra, restoration of direct air connectivity, visa facilitation and efforts to revive bilateral dialogue mechanisms between the two Asian economic powerhouses. The overall content and context to these meetings in the past have consistently covered border equations, peace and tranquillity along the LAC, trade and economic relations, perceived trade imbalances, regional and global issues, terrorism and cooperation in multilateral forums. While China has repeatedly insisted that the two countries should put the border dispute on the sidelines and concentrate on deepening economic and trade cooperation, India maintains that settling down the perceived positions in the border areas is a prerequisite to normalizing ties.
Pursuant to various bilateral mechanisms, the carefully constituted Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs, the Special Representatives, NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi have met repeatedly in the last three years. The 25th round of talks between the Special Representatives in Beijing last month yielded eight outcomes including important aspects related to border management. This visit also comes post the devastating floods in Nepal where more than 900 people have reportedly been killed, with thousands still missing. As the scale of the devastation becomes clear, attention is turning to another force reshaping the Himalayas: China’s unprecedented infrastructure push, from roads and tunnels to military bases and some of the world’s largest dams. It is very significant that Xi’s visit comes days after top Indian and Chinese commanders met for the first time in Arunachal Pradesh sector during two sessions held on both sides of the border.
This was a follow-up to the recent meetings between the Special Representatives of the two countries on the long-standing border issue. While the Indian position is clear, the Chinese position is steeped in legal infirmities and thereby remains untenable. President Xi is reportedly accompanied by a large delegation during this visit. The inclusion of his trade minister suggests that there will be wide-ranging talks with on the trade and commerce aspects. India has been seeking an easing of export controls, while China wants further relaxation of investment restrictions and balance the trade deficit.
The main theme of this visit could be business opportunities, besides an effort to give a booster shot to BRICS. The current diversification signifies four continents and the Middle East with around thirty five percent of the world’s total area, nearly fifty percent of the world’s population and powered by the world’s most robust economies with long standing political leadership in most member states. In such a scenario, with a large market and manufacturing base, China should not be missing from the table which can yield a large quantum of business opportunities.
This visit must also be seen in relation to India’s strategic alliance with the United States and “Strategic Autonomy” in an increasingly transactional, multipolar world. After skipping the last BRICS summit, this visit may also hinge on China’s diplomatic outreach and signalling of intent of normalisation of ties with India, besides generating options prior to Xi’s crucial visit to Washington, later this month.
Before the hawks turn into doves and vice-versa, this visit is not a “bilateral visit”. This must be dovetailed with the present mosaic which is incredibly complex with trade, tariffs and terror at the very epicentre of any pathbreaking decisions and relationship building. There were a lot of opinions and alienation, when Xi sent his premier to Delhi in 2023 for the G-20 summit, but the world has changed drastically, since then. With internal strife and purges to Xi’s scant travel outside the country for a long time, Op SINDOOR in 2025 brought in an astute focus on Chinese weaponry. It is notable that some BRICS nations are a de facto market for weapons and equipment for their intrinsic security needs.
The current conflict in the Middle East, rise of the tech giants and rising energy security costs add to the pot pourri of diplomatic decision making. We live in a world wherein a single foreign policy mistake can trigger an international crisis in a deeply connected world. There is always an overhang of another Galwan-like confrontation, but such actions do not amount to a settlement of the border issues. The underlying military deployments, coupled with unresolved LAC issues and sustained trust deficit remain important concerns. This needs to be internalised with a quote by Sun Tsu in “The Art of War”- “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” While this is being heralded as the Asian century, there are incongruous arguments that the lynchpin of this storied rise will be China. It will be an Asian century with India and China as an integral part of the overall calculus. In relation to this aspect, this visit could send shivers down the collective spine of the West. Modi-Xi bilateral is therefore likely to be one of the most closely watched engagements of the summit.
*Anurag Awasthi is a veteran and CEO of Escape Velocity Mediaworks. He is a policy expert and columnist who writes extensively on critical technologies, security and geopolitics.