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Xi Jinping Arrives in New Delhi to Attend 18th BRICS Summit

The Chinese president travels to India for a two-day multilateral summit following an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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China Eastern Airlines Airbus parked at a modern airport terminal on a cloudy day, ready for departure.
Photo by Linjie Zhang on Pexels

The Brief

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on September 12 to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, following an official invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit, scheduled for September 12 to 13, places China's top leader in the Indian capital for the multilateral gathering of major emerging economies. The trip marks a notable multilateral engagement between Beijing and New Delhi amid broader shifts in global governance.

Why it matters

The summit convenes leaders from major emerging economies at a critical juncture for international governance. Xi's presence in New Delhi underscores Beijing's ongoing commitment to the BRICS grouping as a platform for South-South coordination, while focusing international attention on high-level multilateral interactions hosted by India.

China context

Beijing views the BRICS mechanism as an essential vehicle for advancing multipolarity, reforming international financial and governance structures, and reinforcing solidarity among developing nations. Sustained participation at the head-of-state level reflects the high priority China assigns to institutional cooperation across emerging markets.

Editor's View

EDITOR'S VIEW — Analysis and inference, not factual reporting. While official Chinese announcements regarding the visit remained concise, focusing strictly on protocol, dates, and arrival, Xi's trip to New Delhi holds substantial diplomatic significance. Multilateral venues like BRICS provide a structured framework for dialogue, and international observers will watch closely to see whether the gathering yields substantive policy coordination or bilateral exchanges on the summit sidelines.

What to watch

  • Key policy themes and cooperation proposals outlined in Xi Jinping's formal summit addresses.
  • Potential sideline bilateral meetings between Chinese officials and Indian leadership or other BRICS heads of state.
  • The final joint summit declaration and its language regarding global governance reform and economic cooperation.

Key Takeaways

  • 1President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on September 12 to attend the 18th BRICS Summit.
  • 2The trip spans September 12 to 13 and follows an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  • 3Chinese official statements highlighted the multilateral engagement as the summit got underway.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on September 12 to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, according to reports published by Chinese state media. The visit follows a formal announcement by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating that Xi would travel to India from September 12 to 13 at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit brings together leaders from member nations to discuss multilateral cooperation, economic coordination, and global governance reform. Chinese state media confirmed Xi's arrival in the Indian capital as proceedings for the annual summit commenced, marking China's top-level participation in the grouping's leaders' meeting. Beijing has long treated the BRICS framework as a central pillar of its multilateral foreign policy, viewing the bloc as an influential forum for advancing South-South cooperation and amplifying the voice of emerging markets in international institutions. Across successive summits, China has consistently promoted deeper trade, financial, and development coordination among member states. Xi's travel to New Delhi also draws attention due to the host nation. Bilateral relations between China and India have experienced periods of heightened scrutiny in recent years, making multilateral summits an important setting for shared participation on the international stage. Official releases from Xinhua and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have so far focused on the travel schedule and arrival protocol, without releasing an advance itinerary of sideline bilateral engagements. Observers will be monitoring whether sideline discussions take place between Chinese and Indian delegations, as well as the collective positions adopted in the summit's concluding statements.

Sources

  1. 习近平将赴印度出席金砖国家领导人第十八次会晤 Cyberspace Administration of China · 9/10/2026
  2. 习近平抵达新德里,出席金砖国家领导人第十八次会晤 China News Service · 9/12/2026