Xi’s India visit follows closely on a packed diplomatic travel schedule that took him first to Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, then to Egypt last week for this first state visit there in a decade. He is expected to travel to Washington later this month to meet US President Donald Trump.
Xi’s visit to India comes as the two Asian neighbours work to stabilise ties that soured after a deadly border clash in 2020 triggered a years-long military stand-off. The two sides have taken steps to improve ties, including resuming direct fights last October and restarting border trade last month.
The two sides also held boundary talks in Beijing in August, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi describing the two countries as important neighbours and saying that the development of China-India ties served the interests of the two countries as well as the Global South.
Xi’s trip comes as Beijing puts greater emphasis on developing ties with its neighbours and emerging economies. Like the SCO, Brics is often viewed as a platform for Beijing to advance its ambitions for a multipolar world and cement its position as a leader of the Global South.