Xi Jinping Lands in New Delhi for BRICS Summit, First Visit in Seven Years

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to attend the BRICS summit, touching down ahead of a day of meetings that will bring together leaders of the bloc's member states.

Xi was received at the airport by India's Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada. The two were seen walking together past a performance by dancers before the Chinese president departed in a car. An honour guard was also present at the airport.

The summit is being held at Bharat Mandapam, the venue decorated with the flags of participating countries and guarded by armed security personnel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and counterparts from the other eight BRICS members. The gathering is focused on trade, investment and global conflicts, as the bloc seeks a larger role in shaping the agenda for emerging and developing countries.

The meeting takes place against the backdrop of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with rising U.S.-China tensions, all of which test the group's ability to find common ground among countries with competing geopolitical interests.

Xi is expected to meet Modi later in the day. For India, the summit offers an opportunity to manage its relationship with China, its largest strategic rival. Ties between the two countries have improved since border tensions escalated in 2020, and Xi's visit — his first to New Delhi in seven years — could help consolidate the recent diplomatic thaw, though there are few signs of a recovery in trade and business ties.

India also has an interest in preventing BRICS from becoming an explicitly anti-Western bloc. New Delhi has strengthened ties with the United States, Israel, Japan, Australia and Europe while maintaining its longstanding relationship with Russia.