China's Xi likely to visit India with big delegation for first time in seven years

Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to attend next month's BRICS summit in New Delhi with a large delegation, three sources said.

It would mark his first visit to India in seven years and a fresh sign of a thaw between the rivals.

Why is Xi Jinping's visit to India significant?

India is hosting the September 12 to 13 summit, where Xi's presence would be watched less for the BRICS agenda than for what it signals about Beijing and New Delhi's efforts to stabilize relations. The two countries have worked to rebuild ties since deadly border clashes in 2020.

"Chinese officials are busy finalizing hotels and security protocols," one of the Indian sources with direct knowledge told Reuters. Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China for the first time in seven years, but the relationship has only improved gradually.

How big is the Chinese delegation expected to be?

Two other Indian sources said Xi was likely to be accompanied by a delegation of about 400 officials, compared with fewer than 200 officials the last time in 2019. Officials from both countries are expected to use the summit to explore ways to expand engagement while managing long-standing differences over the border and regional security issues.

Xi's final travel plans and agenda for any potential bilateral meeting between India and China are yet to be finalized, the sources said. A fresh border-related dispute has also triggered sharp diplomatic exchanges between the two sides more recently.

What has China said about Xi's potential visit?

China's foreign ministry said the country attaches great importance to and actively participates in BRICS cooperation, and supports India, the current chair, in successfully hosting this year's summit. It added that it currently had no information available to provide about Xi's visit.

Xi missed the last BRICS summit in 2025 in Brazil. India's foreign ministry did not comment.

What is the India-China border dispute about?

The world's two most populous nations, both nuclear powers, share a roughly 3,800-kilometre, largely undemarcated and disputed border in the Himalayas. Decades of relative peace along the border were shattered by 2020 clashes in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed.

The incident led to a four-year military standoff before the two sides reached a disengagement pact in October 2024. On August 12, India said peace along the border was critical to ties, after reports that Indian and Chinese army patrols came face to face in late July near a remote border area.

India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval started a visit to Beijing on Monday to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for talks on the boundary issue. While India and China remain competitors, US President Donald Trump's trade policies have created one area of convergence, making Xi's attendance a signal that neither side wants external pressure to undermine BRICS.