Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, marking his first visit to India in nearly seven years.
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong, announcing Xi’s departure on X, said his entourage includes Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi are expected to hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit.
Xi’s visit comes as India and China continue efforts to stabilise their bilateral ties following the deadly Galwan clashes of 2020. India has repeatedly stressed that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the continued development of bilateral relations.
PM Modi and Xi had a brief interaction during the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek. The two leaders are now expected to hold detailed discussions on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
Feihong said Beijing and New Delhi were making arrangements for the bilateral meeting and indicated that China would work with India to implement the strategic guidance provided by the two leaders.
“China and India are arranging for the bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi. This will be the third year in a row for the two leaders to meet with each other, following their meetings in Kazan (Russia) and Tianjin (China),” the ambassador said on Friday in a post on X.
“China will work with India to act on the strategic guidance of the two leaders, handle the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, step up communication, enhance cooperation, properly handle differences, and be friends enjoying good-neighbourliness and partners helping each other succeed,” he added.
Xi’s participation in the BRICS Summit is expected to provide an opportunity for the two sides to discuss the broader trajectory of India-China relations, including sustained communication and the management of differences.
The summit will bring together leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, along with outreach invitees, with discussions expected to focus on strengthening cooperation within the grouping and exchanging views on global and regional issues of mutual interest.
(IANS Inputs)
