India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the 18th BRICS summit this weekend in New Delhi, welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to India for the first time since 2019. The summit comes at an important moment for India. As New Delhi's year-long BRICS presidency draws to a close, India is stepping up engagement with China and Russia, and its relationship with Washington remains difficult.
Modi met both Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31 and September 1. Just two weeks later, Modi is set to see them again in New Delhi for the BRICS summit. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video But with BRICS both growing in size and increasingly troubled by internal divisions, the forum might limit Modi's diplomatic gains.
Indian diplomats are trying to protect their room for maneuver in a changing international order. Ashok Kantha, a former Indian ambassador to China, said India's engagement with BRICS and the SCO is part of New Delhi's longstanding strategy of strategic autonomy. "These groupings give India a seat at the table and allow it to pursue its own interests while maintaining relationships with different major powers," Kantha told DW.
However, as Modi prepares to host Xi in New Delhi, ties between India and China are less than ideal. Both countries reached a border patrol agreement in 2024, ending a four-year military standoff along their disputed frontier. International flights have resumed, the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage has reopened and some visa restrictions have eased.
But major problems remain between Beijing and New Delhi — India is reporting a trade deficit of over $112 billion (€96.5 billion) with China, and the two countries argue over market access. The Modi-Xi meeting will therefore be watched for signs of a major diplomatic thaw, particularly on trade and investment. Kantha said the visit could bring some stabilization but should not be mistaken for a reset.
"The border remains heavily militarized and major differences over trade, investment and security remain. India needs a stable and predictable relationship with China, but without lowering its guard," said Kantha. "It is a relationship of armed coexistence and managed competition.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
