Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin Depart 18th BRICS Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Sunday evening, September 13, 2026, following the conclusion of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. He traveled with an entourage including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Cai Qi, director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The two-day summit, hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bharat Mandapam, concluded with the unanimous adoption of the New Delhi Declaration 2026. The event marked the first visit to India for Xi Jinping in seven years and the first in-person BRICS attendance outside Russia for President Vladimir Putin since 2022.

Discussions during the summit focused on expanding non-dollar settlement mechanisms, reinforcing supply chain resilience, and stabilizing border security along the Line of Actual Control. China is scheduled to assume the rotating BRICS chairship for 2027 as the bloc seeks to increase its influence over energy, trade, and multipolar governance.