Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed 'steady progress' in India-China relations during a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, according to official statements. The leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas, which they described as an 'essential basis for the continued development of bilateral relations.' The meeting took place amid ongoing border tensions, including recent face-offs in the Taksing region of Arunachal Pradesh, though both sides have expressed a commitment to resolving disputes through dialogue.

The official statements from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted that Modi highlighted the need for 'differences should not become disputes,' a phrase that has become a recurring theme in India's diplomatic approach to its border standoff with China. The MEA also stated that both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a 'fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution' of the border issue, though no specific details were provided on the mechanisms or timelines for such a resolution.

Xi Jinping, who last visited India in 2019, arrived in New Delhi for the BRICS Summit, marking his first visit in seven years. His arrival was met with a formal welcome by Indian officials, including Minister of State for Commerce Jitin Prasada. The leaders did not make any bilateral visits since 2020, when relations deteriorated following the Galwan Valley clash in Ladakh. The current meeting is seen as an opportunity to reset ties and address economic and trade concerns, including the growing trade deficit and structural imbalances in bilateral commerce.

India's trade with China has grown from about $93 billion in 2019 to $127 billion in 2025, but the trade deficit has widened from $57 billion to nearly $100 billion in the same period. The Indian government has raised concerns over China's visa curbs for Indian businesspeople, export restrictions on critical machinery and commodities such as fertilizers, and the imbalance in two-way trade. The leaders also discussed the need to address these concerns, including facilitating 'meaningful and predictable market access' and resolving 'structural trade imbalance and supply chain issues.'

While both leaders expressed a commitment to expanding common ground on regional and global issues, the details of such cooperation remain unclear. The meeting also provided an opportunity to take stock of several rounds of dialogue between the Special Representatives on the border issue, the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC), and senior military commanders. India and China held the first round of talks between military commanders in the eastern sector in Arunachal Pradesh on September 6 and 7, though no further details were released.

The issue of a possible 'early and substantial harvest' of boundary delimitation and border management has figured in recent discussions through diplomatic channels, though the two sides have not released any details so far. The Chinese side did not provide a formal response to the Indian statements, leaving the nature of the bilateral dialogue and its potential outcomes uncertain. As the BRICS Summit continues, the focus remains on how the leaders' commitments to peaceful border management and economic cooperation will translate into tangible outcomes for both nations.