Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, held a bilateral meeting on 12 September 2026, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

The leaders spoke of steady progress in India-China bilateral relations, reaffirming a strategic, long-term perspective on the ties. Importantly, an official statement underlined that ‘differences should not become disputes.’ Modi emphasised being guided by three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest.

At the core, peace and tranquillity on the border became an essential basis for the continued development of bilateral relations. Both Modi and Xi agreed to commit to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question, proceeding from the political perspective of their overall bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples.

Notably, Xi’s attendance at the BRICS Summit and approval of the joint statement herald cooperation and collaboration. On economic and trade relations, they underlined the need to address each other’s concerns, including structural trade imbalance and supply chain issues, and the facilitation of meaningful and predictable market access.