New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the national capital on Saturday for a two-day visit centred on the BRICS Summit, marking his return to India after a gap of seven years.
His arrival comes as New Delhi and Beijing seek to sustain high-level engagement while continuing to navigate differences on strategic and security matters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet Xi on Saturday evening for bilateral discussions, with trade and investment expected to be among the key areas of focus.
The Chinese leader’s visit follows a series of diplomatic interactions between the two countries. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval recently travelled to Beijing for the Special Representative talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Despite the renewed dialogue, India continues to closely monitor Chinese military activity along the Arunachal Pradesh sector.
Xi is accompanied by a senior Chinese delegation comprising government representatives and business leaders. The delegation includes Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.
Wang Yi is also part of the delegation. Apart from serving as China’s foreign minister, he is a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and has been involved in several rounds of engagement with Indian officials.
Beijing has indicated that it sees the latest Modi-Xi meeting as part of an ongoing leadership-level dialogue. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the two leaders are meeting for the third consecutive year, following their earlier meetings in Kazan and Tianjin.
Mao said China would seek to implement the strategic understanding reached by the two leaders, strengthen communication and expand cooperation. She added that differences between the two countries should be handled appropriately while viewing bilateral ties from a long-term and strategic perspective.
Xi’s presence in New Delhi has consequently put the spotlight on the next phase of India-China relations, with attention expected to remain on both the scope for economic cooperation and the management of unresolved strategic differences.
