Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, China's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday, ending days of uncertainty over whether the Chinese leader would travel to India.

The ministry said Xi will visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The announcement came hours after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jia-kun had declined to comment on reports about Xi's possible India visit during a regular media briefing in Beijing.

Xi's participation assumes significance as India and China continue efforts to stabilise their bilateral relationship following the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.

The two countries have in recent months taken several steps aimed at restoring dialogue, improving border management and gradually expanding bilateral exchanges.

The Chinese President's visit will be his first to India in nearly seven years.

His presence at the BRICS gathering is also expected to provide an opportunity for Modi and Xi to hold detailed bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the summit.

The two leaders had briefly interacted during the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek. Their expected meeting in New Delhi could further build on recent diplomatic efforts to improve India-China relations.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of renewed engagement between the two countries on the long-standing boundary question.

Earlier this month, senior military commanders from India and China held their first flag meeting at the highest military commander level, with discussions taking place at Vacha on the Indian side in Arunachal Pradesh on September 6 and at Damai on the Chinese side on September 7.

The latest military-level engagement followed understandings reached during meetings of the Special Representatives of India and China in August 2025 and August 2026, along with subsequent discussions under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination.

At the 25th round of the Special Representatives' talks held in Beijing on August 25, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held extensive discussions on the boundary issue as well as broader bilateral relations.

According to India's Ministry of External Affairs, the two sides reviewed progress in implementing understandings reached by Modi and Xi in Kazan in October 2024 and Tianjin in August 2025.

They also welcomed the gradual revival of people-to-people contacts and cross-border exchanges.

The resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and border trade through three designated passes were among the developments noted during the discussions.

Both sides have stressed the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the India-China border as a foundation for further development of bilateral ties.

The upcoming BRICS Summit is therefore expected to carry significance beyond the multilateral grouping, with India-China relations likely to be an important focus of the diplomatic engagement in New Delhi.

Xi's expected presence is significant amid the recent thaw in India-China ties and could pave the way for a meeting between Xi and Modi on the sidelines of the summit.