Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping began their bilateral meeting in New Delhi on Saturday on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit. The meeting comes as India and China seek to stabilise relations after years of tension along their disputed border.
Xi’s visit is significant as it is his first trip to India in seven years. His arrival comes against the backdrop of the prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and ongoing efforts by both sides to resolve outstanding border issues.
The two leaders are expected to review progress on disengagement and de-escalation along the LAC and discuss the broader direction of bilateral ties.
India and China have been working towards improving relations since reaching an understanding in October 2024 on the disengagement of troops from friction points in the Ladakh sector. However, the process of de-escalation and the return of troops to peacetime positions has not been fully completed.
Fresh tensions were also reported in the Arunachal Pradesh sector following face-offs between troops in July and August. The two countries have continued diplomatic and military-level discussions to manage the situation.
Several rounds of talks have taken place through mechanisms including the Special Representatives’ dialogue on the boundary question, the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC), and meetings between senior military commanders.
India and China also held military commander-level talks in the eastern sector on September 6 and 7.
Economic issues are another important part of the relationship. India is expected to raise concerns over restrictions affecting Indian businesspeople, including visa curbs, as well as limits on exports of critical machinery and commodities such as fertilisers.
The widening trade imbalance is also a major concern for New Delhi. Bilateral trade has risen from around $93 billion in 2019 to approximately $127 billion in 2025. During the same period, India’s trade deficit with China increased from about $57 billion to nearly $100 billion.
Despite these challenges, there have been signs of improvement. The two countries have made progress towards resuming direct flights, restarting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and reopening border trade through three designated points.
Xi arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to attend the BRICS Summit and was received at the airport by Minister of State for Commerce Jitin Prasada.
The Modi-Xi meeting marks another important high-level engagement between the two countries since relations deteriorated following the 2020 Ladakh standoff. Xi last visited India in 2019 for an informal summit with Modi. Since then, neither leader has made a bilateral visit to the other’s country.
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