Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India this weekend is expected to give fresh momentum to efforts to improve bilateral relations, with the two countries looking to build on recent progress in diplomatic engagement, trade and border issues. The visit will be Xi’s first to India in seven years.
Xi is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, being held from September 12 to 13. The meeting comes after a gradual thaw in India-China relations in recent years, following the tensions triggered by the 2020 Galwan Valley clash between troops of the two countries.
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There are expectations that Xi’s visit could build on the momentum generated by Modi’s visit to China last year. Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Doraiswami has stressed the importance of a stable and predictable relationship between the two countries, describing it as significant for peace, stability and prosperity in Asia.
China’s Foreign Ministry has also said Xi and Modi view the two countries as “partners, not competitors” and as opportunities rather than threats to each other’s development. The two leaders had briefly met this month at a regional forum in Kyrgyzstan.
High-level engagement has also continued. During a meeting in Beijing last month, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted the positive impact of leadership-level meetings on the trajectory of bilateral relations.
The border question, however, remains central to India’s approach. Modi is expected to reiterate New Delhi’s position that peace and tranquillity along the border are essential for the broader development of India-China relations.
The two countries had agreed in Kazan to restart high-level engagement following disengagement and the resolution of issues linked to the eastern Ladakh military standoff. Their Special Representatives were tasked with overseeing peace and tranquillity in the border areas and exploring a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary dispute.
Trade is another major issue expected to feature prominently during the talks. India is likely to push for fairer market access, reliable supply chains and measures to address the widening imbalance in bilateral trade.
Bilateral trade reached a record $151.1 billion in the year ending March 2026, while India’s trade deficit with China rose to a record $112.16 billion from $99.21 billion.
There have nevertheless been some signs of improvement. Direct flights between India and China resumed last year, while New Delhi eased visa procedures for Chinese business professionals. Border trade also resumed this year after a six-year suspension.
Trade through the Lipulekh Pass began in 1992 and continued until 2019. On August 1, officials on the Chinese side allowed 16 traders and four support staff to cross into Tibet without goods as the two countries began restoring operations.
Cross-border trade through Nathula Pass in Sikkim has also officially resumed after six years.
Despite these developments, the thaw remains cautious. The border issue and trade imbalance will remain key tests of whether the latest diplomatic momentum can translate into a more durable normalisation of India-China relations.
