Modi and Xi agree to resolve border dispute at 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi

Border dispute talks in New Delhi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks on Saturday, 12 September 2026, on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi. During their meeting, Modi and Xi agreed to resolve the territorial border dispute between India and China in an "honest and reasonable" manner. The commitment was announced following the meeting by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The frontier dispute has remained one of several unresolved differences affecting relations between the two countries. The direct discussion in New Delhi gave the two leaders a formal opportunity to address the border situation face to face. Both governments used the sideline encounter to manage their bilateral ties and pursue diplomatic solutions within the framework of the summit.

Diplomatic engagement after seven years

Xi arrived in the Indian capital on Saturday, 12 September 2026, for the two-day summit held across 12 and 13 September. The journey is Xi's first visit to India since 2019, concluding a seven-year gap between travels by the Chinese president to the country. The bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi represents a step in a cautious thawing of diplomatic relations between Beijing and New Delhi. The two neighboring countries have multiple disputes to resolve following extended periods of bilateral tension. Direct dialogue between the heads of state allowed both administrations to resume official high-level engagement in the Indian capital. The interaction between the leaders of India and China took place as both governments sought to ease friction through official discussions.

Multilateral schedule at the 18th summit

The 18th BRICS summit brought together delegations in New Delhi across Saturday, 12 September, and Sunday, 13 September 2026. Xi travelled to India on Saturday to attend the multi-day gathering hosted by the Indian government. The summit provided an international venue that combined general multilateral proceedings with bilateral meetings on the sidelines. Modi and Xi conducted their bilateral discussion alongside the official summit schedule, which included delegates from across the member states. The two-day conference in New Delhi facilitated both group discussions on world affairs and separate state-level exchanges among the participating leaders. The summit schedule in the capital concluded on Sunday following two days of multilateral sessions.

Priorities of the eleven-nation bloc

The 18th summit assembled eleven emerging markets and developing countries in New Delhi, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and Egypt. During the official sessions, the participating member states presented their perspective on global governance and international cooperation for today and the future. India, serving as the host nation, presented the BRICS acronym with the motto "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." The conference sessions focused on collective coordination among the eleven member economies on matters of mutual development. The leaders of the expanded group concluded their joint meetings in the Indian capital after reviewing their shared approach to economic cooperation and global governance.