Prime Minister Narendra Modi today extended an official invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the BRICS Summit that India will host in 2026. The invitation was delivered during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), President Xi thanked PM Modi for the invitation and “assured Beijing’s support for India’s upcoming BRICS Presidency.” India is set to assume the leadership of the 11-member grouping from Brazil next year.
The meeting, held on the first visit by an Indian prime minister to China in seven years, touched on a wide range of issues. Both leaders reaffirmed that India and China were “development partners and not rivals,” emphasizing that their differences should not escalate into disputes. PM Modi underscored the importance of “peace and tranquility in the border areas” as a prerequisite for stronger relations, and both leaders expressed satisfaction with the disengagement along friction points last year.
PM Modi also outlined India’s vision for its BRICS chairmanship, stating that it will seek to give the grouping a “new form” with a strong emphasis on “people-centric and Global South priorities.” This mirrors India’s approach during its G20 presidency.
The two leaders last met in October 2024 on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.