Arabic version: لقاء شي-مودي يتصدر الاهتمام في قمة بريكس بالهند
According to Cnbc, Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the BRICS summit in India, his first trip to the country since 2019. A meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be among the most closely watched events as the 11-member bloc begins its gathering. The prospective talks would test the tentative reset in ties between Asia’s two largest economies after relations deteriorated following deadly border clashes in 2020.
The disputed Himalayan border remains the central political constraint in the relationship. China and India fought a war in 1962, and border tensions froze relations after the 2020 conflict. Still, the two sides have improved ties over the past year. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met in August and expressed satisfaction with the steady resumption of people-to-people and cross-border exchanges, including border trade and Himalayan pilgrimages. Direct flights have resumed, while New Delhi has relaxed rules around Chinese investment.
Trade is also expected to feature prominently. China is India’s largest business partner, with total trade reaching a record $151.1 billion in the year ending March 2026. India’s trade deficit with China rose to a record $112.16 billion from $99.21 billion. New Delhi has urged BRICS members to address trade imbalances and market access. India relies on Chinese goods in sectors including green-energy infrastructure, while it has imposed trade restrictions in areas where it is closer to self-sufficiency, such as aluminium foil and electrical steel.
Distrust persists despite the thaw. Beijing reportedly denied Indian Army access to key patrolling points and encroached on land in Arunachal Pradesh in August. India’s relations with the second Trump administration have also been strained over trade and tariffs, contributing to New Delhi’s investment in other partnerships. Xi and Modi met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation gathering in Kyrgyzstan last week, where they signed the Bishkek Declaration with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other members.
