NEW DELHI: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday departed New Delhi after participating in the two-day BRICS Summit hosted by India, where he held extensive discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on strengthening India-China relations and advancing bilateral cooperation.
Xi attended the BRICS sessions at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the summit, which concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration 2026. On the sidelines of the summit, Modi and Xi also held a bilateral meeting, marking another significant engagement between the leaders of the two neighbouring countries.
During the meeting, Xi said India and China should view their bilateral relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective, keeping in mind the broader interests and future development of both countries. He noted that despite differences between the two nations, they have been able to support each other and pursue common development.
Xi also pointed out that the visit marked his second trip to New Delhi in 12 years and said the two leaders had met more than 20 times during the period, resulting in what he described as a series of important consensuses.
Prime Minister Modi, meanwhile, thanked China for its support and cooperation during India’s BRICS chairship and welcomed the opportunity to further discuss bilateral cooperation. He also expressed appreciation for Xi’s positive remarks at the summit.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the India-China boundary question and agreed that bilateral ties should continue to be viewed through a strategic and long-term lens.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the leaders welcomed the steady progress in India-China relations since their previous meeting in Tianjin in August 2025. Modi emphasised that differences should not be allowed to become disputes and said the relationship should be guided by mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest.
Xi’s departure marked the conclusion of his participation in the India-hosted BRICS Summit, which was also marked by the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on Saturday, underlining the grouping’s collective position on a range of global and regional issues.
