Modi and Xi meet in New Delhi, pledge to manage differences and boost trade ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India for the BRICS summit, his first since 2019, confirms a deliberate effort by Beijing and New Delhi to reset bilateral relations. Xi and Indian PM Modi held a bilateral meeting, signaling a cautious thaw in ties after years of border tensions, though concrete agreements remain unspecified. The durability of this rapprochement and specific outcomes on border resolution and trade are uncertain.

The BRICS summit in New Delhi confirms a coordinated effort by member states, particularly China, India, and Russia, to establish a geopolitical and economic counterweight to the United States. A significant development is the confirmed thaw in China-India bilateral relations, marked by Xi Jinping's first visit to India since 2019 and multiple bilateral meetings with PM Modi to address border disputes and boost trade. While de-dollarization and bloc expansion are key agenda items, divisions over the Middle East crisis and the lack of concrete agreements on border resolution introduce uncertainties.