Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi during the BRICS Summit 2026, marking an important step in the gradual improvement of India-China relations after the tensions of 2020.

Why in the News?

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a high-level bilateral meeting on September 12, 2026, on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The meeting represented another step in the cautious diplomatic reset between India and China, building on their previous engagement in Tianjin in August 2025. However, the boundary question remains unresolved, and differences over the Line of Actual Control continue to create a trust deficit. India places greater emphasis on border peace and respect for existing agreements, while China gives greater importance to restoring broader strategic and economic cooperation.

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
  • Xi's visit is his first to India in seven years.
  • The talks focused on:
    • Border peace and boundary settlement
    • Trade and investment
    • Bilateral relations
    • Regional and global issues

India's Key Position- Border Peace

  • PM Modi stressed that peace and tranquillity along the border are essential for the development of bilateral relations.
  • India called for both sides to:
    • Follow existing border agreements and understandings.
    • Maintain peace and stability along the LAC.
  • Both leaders reaffirmed commitment to finding a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question.
  • The settlement should consider:
    • Overall bilateral relations.
    • Long-term interests of both countries.

Three Mutuals

India highlighted three principles to guide bilateral relations:

  • Mutual Respect
  • Mutual Sensitivity
  • Mutual Interest

Key Principle

Differences should not become disputes.

  • India wants disagreements to be managed through dialogue and institutional mechanisms, rather than allowing them to escalate into confrontation.

Xi Jinping's Position

  • Xi said India and China should:
    • Learn from each other's strengths.
    • Support each other.
    • Pursue common development.
  • He emphasised that China views relations with India from a strategic and long-term perspective.
  • According to Xi, both countries, as major members of the Global South, have responsibilities towards:
    • World peace
    • Stability
    • Development
    • Prosperity

Vision of a Multipolar World

  • Xi called for an equal and orderly multipolar world.
  • He stressed greater cooperation between India and China as two major countries of the Global South.
  • This reflects China's emphasis on greater developing-country participation in global affairs.

Progress in India-China Relations

  • India and China noted steady progress in bilateral relations since the Modi-Xi meeting in Tianjin in August 2025.
  • Both sides agreed to explore new measures to expand bilateral engagement.
  • However, important differences particularly over the boundary question remain.

Boundary Question

  • The India-China boundary dispute covers approximately 3,488 km.
  • The Special Representatives (SR) mechanism was established in 2003 to negotiate a settlement.

Current Special Representatives

  • India: NSA Ajit Doval
  • China: Foreign Minister Wang Yi

Recent SR Talks

  • Doval and Wang Yi held talks in Beijing in August 2026.
  • Discussions included:
    • Delimitation of the frontier
    • Transboundary cooperation
    • Maintaining peace along the LAC

Difference in India and China's Approach

IndiaChina
Border peace is an essential basis for broader bilateral relations.Traditionally prefers the boundary dispute to be handled separately from other bilateral issues.
Emphasises mutual respect, sensitivity and interest.Emphasises broader strategic and long-term engagement.
Seeks progress towards a boundary settlement.Supports continued engagement while separating boundary negotiations from other ties.

Significance of the Meeting

  • Border stabilisation
    • Regular leader-level dialogue can reduce the risk of renewed confrontation.
  • Boundary negotiations
    • Political support can strengthen the ongoing Special Representatives' process.
  • Economic relations
    • Stable political relations can facilitate greater trade and investment cooperation.
  • Strategic stability
    • Better India-China communication is important for stability in the wider Asian region.
  • Global South cooperation
    • Both countries can cooperate on issues concerning developing countries and global governance.

Key Challenges

  • Unresolved boundary dispute
  • Continuing sensitivity along the LAC
  • Different approaches towards linking border issues with broader bilateral relations
  • Trust deficit following the 2020 border crisis
  • Wider strategic and economic competition

Way Forward

  • Maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC.
  • Ensure strict adherence to existing agreements and understandings.
  • Strengthen the Special Representatives' mechanism.
  • Continue discussions on delimitation, delineation and demarcation.
  • Expand cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest.
  • Prevent bilateral differences from turning into disputes.

Conclusion

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi during the 2026 BRICS Summit, marking an important step in the gradual improvement of China relations and the Narendra Modi Xi Jinping Meeting 2026, following the tensions of 2020. India's key position remains that peace and stability along the border are essential for the development of bilateral ties. PM Modi highlighted the principle of three mutuals: mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest and stressed that differences should not become disputes. China has also emphasised a stable and long-term relationship with India and supports a more multipolar world order with greater cooperation among developing countries. There has been progress in reducing border tensions, restoring diplomatic communication and improving economic and people-to-people exchanges.

The meeting is significant for regional stability, BRICS cooperation and India's strategic autonomy. However, challenges such as the boundary dispute, trade imbalance, China-Pakistan ties, Indo-Pacific competition and mutual distrust remain. Thus, the meeting represents managed improvement rather than complete normalisation of India-China relations.