Chinese President Xi gets red carpet welcome in Delhi
- Last updated: September 12, 2026 | 13:28
Chinese President Xi Jinping was accorded a warm welcome on Saturday as he arrived in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, marking his first visit to the country in nearly seven years. Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada received Xi at the airport.
The BRICS group of emerging economies has agreed on a joint declaration, sources told Reuters on Saturday, hours before its leaders began a summit in New Delhi, aiming to boost the bloc's global clout.
The summit is being held as the United States and Iran resume tit-for-tat strikes in their six-month-old war.
That followed a pause in fighting for much of August, while the Houthi rebels in Yemen tightened their grip in the Red Sea region.
Negotiators had agreed on a joint declaration unlikely to name any country but which will condemn unilateral war by any country, four sources told Reuters, adding that the bloc's leaders were expected to approve the document later on Saturday.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India looks forward to "constructive discussions" with Xi during his visit.
Taking to X, the MEA said, "Warm welcome to President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China on his arrival in New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. He was received by MoS Jitin Prasada at the airport."
"We look forward to constructive discussions as BRICS continues to advance cooperation and contribute to a more balanced, representative and multipolar world," the MEA added.
President Xi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit later on Saturday.
According to Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong, Xi Jinping's 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 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Xi's visit comes as India and China continue efforts to stabilise their bilateral relationship following the deadly Galwan clashes of 2020. India has repeatedly underlined the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas as a key prerequisite for the continued development and progress of bilateral ties.
PM Modi and Xi had a brief interaction during the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in Kyrgyzstan's Bishkek. The two leaders last met on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin in August 2025.
On Friday, Xu Feihong said Beijing and New Delhi are making arrangements for the bilateral meeting between Xi and PM Modi, 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)," Ambassador Feihong said on Friday on social media platform 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," the Chinese envoy added.
As BRICS Chair 2026, India is set to host the two-day 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from today (Saturday), bringing together leaders of member and partner countries, as well as outreach invitees.
India's BRICS chairship is guided by the theme: 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability', reflecting PM Modi's vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of "Humanity First." In addition to these areas, the leaders will discuss strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation on common priorities and share perspectives on global and regional matters of mutual importance.
BRICS comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. BRICS partner countries are: Belarus, Cuba, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
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 the importance of sustained communication and management of differences.
Indo-Asian News Service