China's Xi to attend BRICS summit in New Delhi in 1st India trip since 2019

The Chinese president last traveled to India in 2019, months before the start of a military face-off between the two border forces in Ladakh that lasted more than four years and took bilateral ties to a six-decade low.

Ties have gradually improved in recent years, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting China last year and the two countries taking steps to restore high-level engagement.

Xi will attend the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit at Modi's invitation on Saturday and Sunday, the ministry said.

The BRICS gathering will bring together leaders from across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto are also expected to attend the summit.

The expanded BRICS membership comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

The group also has partner countries, including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

The last BRICS summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2025. China is due to host the 2027 summit.