Seeking to improve the bilateral ties despite continued tensions over border differences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China's President Xi Jinping held a high-level bilateral meeting with each other on sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
This was the second meeting, which lasted nearly 50 minutes, that they held in a year. Previously, they had met in China's Tianjin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on August 31, 2025.
Welcoming Xi, the Prime Minister said he was thankful to Beijing for its support and cooperation to New Delhi for hosting the BRICS Summit. He further said the bilateral meeting between them provides an opportunity to boost the ties.
"It is a great pleasure to hear your positive remarks at the BRICS Summit. Thank you very much, Excellency. I express my gratitude for the support and cooperation extended by China during India's BRICS Chairmanship. We now have an opportunity to discuss our bilateral cooperation. Once again, I warmly welcome you to India," he told Xi.
Meanwhile, Xi - who is on a two-day New Delhi visit - told the Prime Minister that India and China can learn a lot from each other's strengths and achieve shared development by supporting one another. He said the two countries should advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world that is inclusive and mutually beneficial to the global economy.
"In the face of a complex international landscape marked by intertwined changes and challenges, China and India, as the world's two most populous countries and important members of the Global South, shoulder significant responsibilities. Both sides should keep the future of humanity in mind and the well-being of their peoples at heart, and work together to advance high-quality cooperation within the greater BRICS framework," he said.
The India-China ties had plunged to a new low after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, but both countries have taken a slew of measures to improve their ties. Last month, National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval held the Special Representative talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, aiming to increase trans-boundary cooperation, and ensure that peace and tranquillity is maintained along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Special Representative talks is a mechanism that was established in 2003 to address the border dispute between India and China.
PM Modi and Xi, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Saturday were also seen holding hands with each other, which many considered as a message to the US-led West. The photo was shared by PM Modi on Instagram with the song 'Kingdom BGM' as background music.
India is hosting the BRICS Summit from September 12-13 and it is being attended by leaders of 11 member countries and 10 partner countries besides some international organisations.