President Xi Jinping arrived on Saturday in New Delhi for the 18th Brics Summit as well as talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Scheduled for September 12 to 13, the annual Brics conference gathers the leaders of the 11-nation bloc of emerging economies.

Xi was given a red-carpet welcome, with an honour guard of soldiers and traditional dancers in colourful dresses.

At the summit, Xi will join other leaders in charting a new course for the high-quality development, pooling the collective strength of the Global South and contributing stability and positive momentum to a world undergoing changes.

Other leaders attending include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa and Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Xi and Modi will also hold bilateral talks, their third in three years, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.

China "is willing" to work together with India, to view two-way relations from a strategic and long-term ‌perspective, properly manage differences, and be "good neighbours and friends, as well as mutually supportive partners," she said.

The summit is being held amid geopolitical tensions triggered by the war on Iran started by the United States and Israel, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the disruptions they have caused to global energy, trade and transport. (Agencies)





Edited by Azam Khan