Xi Jinping Gets Red-Carpet Welcome in Delhi as India-China Relations Show Signs of Thaw

Chinese President Xi Jinping received a red-carpet welcome in Delhi as he arrived for the BRICS summit, marking his first visit to India in seven years. The high-profile welcome comes as New Delhi and Beijing signal a cautious thaw in relations after years of tension.

A symbolic return to Delhi

Xi was welcomed with a red carpet and an honour guard as India hosted the closely watched BRICS gathering. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting the summit, which also brings together leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin and Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian.

The visit is being viewed as an important step in efforts to repair ties following the deadly 2020 military clash along the disputed Himalayan border. Twenty Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in that confrontation.

Thaw alongside strategic competition

Flights and high-level contacts between the two countries have gradually resumed, while China has said it is willing to manage differences and work with India as good neighbours. At the same time, both powers continue to compete for influence in the wider region and within BRICS.

The expanded BRICS grouping now includes 11 members and represents about half of the world's population. Yet the bloc faces internal differences over geopolitics, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and its relationship with the United States.

The Guardian reported that the summit is expected to produce a broad declaration condemning unilateral warfare, while avoiding naming a specific country. India and China also hold different views on how BRICS should position itself globally, with Beijing favouring a stronger counterweight to Western influence and Delhi seeking to keep the grouping as a bridge between the West and the developing world.