PM Modi invites Chinese President Xi Jinping to India for 2026 BRICS Summit: MEA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit India during the BRICS Summit in 2026, with the latter thanking the former for his invitation and offering his full support to New Delhi for its Presidency, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday following a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. 

It also said that PM Modi and Xi have reaffirmed that India and China are 'development partners' and not 'rivals', and the differences between them should not turn into disputes. They also stressed for a stable relationship between India and China, saying it is necessary for the growth and development of the two countries, and a multipolar world. 

In a statement, the MEA said PM Modi also underlined the importance of peace and tranquility in border areas in the meeting with Xi. It said the two leaders were satisfied with the successful disengagement of troops from eastern Ladakh last



year.  

"They expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question proceeding from the political perspective of their overall bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples. They recognized the important decisions taken by the two Special Representatives in their Talks earlier this month, and agreed to further support their efforts," the MEA said.

The two leaders also highlighted that the resumption of direct flights and the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is crucial to strengthening the bilateral ties between India and China. During the meeting, PM Modi also cautioned that the India-China relationship shouldn't be seen through a third country lens, though, the MEA said. 

"The two leaders deemed it necessary to expand common ground on bilateral, regional, and global issues and challenges, like terrorism and fair trade in multilateral platforms," the MEA said, adding that PM Modi expressed support for China's Presidency of the SCO.