Overview

• Modi and Xi held a roughly 40–60 minute bilateral where both endorsed taking ties forward on mutual trust and managing the LAC, with Xi urging that the border not define the relationship.
• India said direct flights are being resumed and visa facilitation widened, building on August agreements that also saw China move to lift export curbs on rare earths, fertilisers and tunnel boring machines.
• New Delhi highlighted that Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has restarted and that Special Representatives agreed on border management measures following last year’s disengagement.
• Modi invited Xi to the 2026 BRICS summit in India, part of broader outreach as New Delhi signals strategic autonomy following fresh U.S. tariff actions.
• Putin, Xi and Modi displayed cordial interactions at the SCO gatherings, with a Modi–Putin bilateral scheduled for later Monday during a summit where Xi said the bloc carries greater responsibilities for regional stability.