Xi arrives in New Delhi for BRICS summit as India balances major powers
Xi Jinping has arrived in New Delhi for his first India visit in seven years, as Narendra Modi balances closer BRICS ties with China and Russia amid global tensions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday (September 12) for the BRICS leaders’ summit and talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking his first visit to India in seven years as the two Asian powers cautiously rebuild relations.
Xi received a red-carpet welcome on arrival, accompanied by traditional Indian dance performances. His meeting with Modi, scheduled for Saturday evening, will be their third in three years.
The visit comes as India and China continue efforts to repair ties badly damaged by their deadly 2020 clash along their disputed Himalayan border, in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed.
China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing was willing to work with New Delhi from a strategic and long-term perspective, manage differences appropriately and build relations as neighbours and mutually supportive partners.
Modi and Putin pledge deeper India-Russia ties
Xi’s arrival came a day after Modi held talks in New Delhi with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the two leaders agreeing to deepen their longstanding bilateral relationship ahead of the BRICS summit.
India’s Foreign Ministry said Modi and Putin exchanged views on conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region, including their impact on maritime trade and the safety of Indian seafarers.
The two leaders agreed to remain engaged in strengthening what both governments describe as their “special and privileged strategic partnership”.
India and Russia have set a target of increasing bilateral trade to US$100 billion by 2030, up from nearly US$70 billion in the 2024-25 financial year.
Energy remains a key element of the relationship. India, alongside China, is one of the largest buyers of Russian oil and has resisted pressure to reduce imports, arguing that its large population and expanding economy require secure, affordable and reliable energy supplies.
Putin calls for stronger BRICS economic role
Putin also used a BRICS business forum in New Delhi to argue that the grouping should develop into a more practical economic platform covering technology, investment, infrastructure and payment systems.
He criticised Western sanctions and other economic restrictions and said BRICS should develop what he described as a new, sustainable platform for global growth.
His remarks echoed concerns raised by BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors over unilateral trade and financial measures, including tariffs and non-tariff barriers that they said distorted trade and conflicted with World Trade Organization rules.
BRICS now brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
The New Delhi summit is being held against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions, including the Russia-Ukraine war and conflict involving Iran, which have disrupted global energy supplies, trade and transport networks.
For host India, the summit highlights an increasingly complex diplomatic balancing act as New Delhi seeks to maintain strong relations with the United States, Russia, China, Iran, Israel and Gulf Arab states while promoting greater trade and economic cooperation among BRICS members.
Source: Reuters
