Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit India on September 12 and 13 to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, China’s foreign ministry has confirmed.

The announcement ends days of uncertainty over whether Xi would travel to India for the high-profile summit. The visit has particular significance as it will be his first trip to India in seven years.

According to China’s foreign ministry, Xi will travel to New Delhi at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and participate in the BRICS Summit.

Xi Jinping’s first India visit in seven years

Xi’s upcoming visit comes after a period of strained India-China relations following the 2020 Galwan Valley border clashes. The clashes resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, while the number of Chinese casualties was not known.

The Chinese president last visited India in 2019, when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an informal summit in Mamallapuram near Chennai.

Xi had earlier travelled to India in September 2014 during the first terms of both leaders. He also visited Goa in 2016 to attend the BRICS Summit.

India-China ties show signs of improvement

Relations between India and China have improved in recent years. The reference report notes that the change has come particularly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China last year.

India has also eased some restrictions on Chinese investment that were introduced after the 2020 border clashes, including in sectors such as electronics, capital goods and solar cells.

China’s foreign ministry has described India and China as “partners, not competitors”, saying the two countries represent opportunities rather than threats to each other’s development.

Xi and Prime Minister Modi also briefly met earlier this month at a regional forum in Kyrgyzstan.

The Chinese president’s presence at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi is therefore set to bring the two leaders together again as India and China work to improve their bilateral relationship.

US President Donald Trump has promised to give every adult American $5,000 if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress following the November midterm elections.

Trump made the announcement while addressing the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, where he urged supporters to back his party in the November 3 election.

“If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000,” Trump said, referring to the proposed payment as the “Trump dividend.”

Trump does not specify funding source

Trump did not provide details about how the proposed payments would be financed. He said only that the US was making “so much money.”

The proposal could cost at least $1 trillion, according to the report, and its financial and political feasibility remains uncertain.

Trump also urged voters to treat the midterm election as if he himself were on the ballot, saying, “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot.”

Trump seeks Republican victory in midterms

Trump is seeking to help Republicans retain both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the November 3 midterm elections.

The pledge comes as Trump’s approval ratings remain in the low 30s, while voters have expressed concerns over high prices and the US war with Iran.

Decision Desk HQ projects Democrats to win the House 230-205 and the Senate 51-49 in November, according to the report.

Trump also defends Iran war and tariffs

During his speech, Trump defended the US military action against Iran, saying he believed Tehran was close to developing a nuclear weapon.

He also said oil prices would fall after the US wins the war with Iran and defended his administration’s sweeping tariffs on US trade partners.

Trump further warned that the United States could become a “communist country” if Democrats win, while urging voters to support Republicans.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo, with the two leaders discussing the broad India-Sri Lanka partnership and cooperation to promote regional safety, security, peace and prosperity.

Singh arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday for a three-day visit. During his meeting with Dissanayake, he conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings and congratulated the Sri Lankan president on the completion of two years of his government.

India, Sri Lanka reaffirm regional cooperation

According to the Ministry of Defence, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to working together as close neighbours and maritime partners for the development and welfare of their people.

They also emphasised cooperation to ensure the safety, security, peace and prosperity of the region. The meeting comes during Singh’s first visit to Sri Lanka as India’s defence minister in 38 years.

Dissanayake recalled his interactions with Prime Minister Modi and reiterated that Sri Lanka would not allow its territory to be used for activities that could harm India’s security interests.

The Sri Lankan president also thanked India for the relief assistance provided under Operation Sagar Bandhu during Cyclone Ditwah and for the rehabilitation package extended by New Delhi for reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Singh said India viewed its support to Sri Lanka not as a favour but as a responsibility as a close friend and neighbour.

India, Sri Lanka exchange defence cooperation MoUs

The two countries also exchanged memoranda of understanding covering the upgrading of L70 guns for the Sri Lankan Air Force and cooperation between the National Cadet Corps and the National Defence Colleges of India and Sri Lanka.

Under one MoU, six L70 guns earlier provided by India to the Sri Lanka Air Force will be upgraded under an Indian government grant. The Ministry of Defence said the upgrade would strengthen the air defence architecture protecting critical assets in Sri Lanka.

Another agreement between the National Defence Colleges of the two countries will facilitate academic cooperation and knowledge sharing.

The NCC cooperation agreement will formalise a youth exchange programme, allowing NCC cadets from different countries to participate in events in New Delhi.

Bailey bridges inaugurated

During the meeting, Singh and Dissanayake virtually inaugurated three Bailey bridges constructed by Indian defence forces.

Singh also said during his interaction with the Indian diaspora on Tuesday that India would continue to stand with Sri Lanka during times of crisis. He highlighted the relationship between the two countries as being rooted in shared history, culture and faith.

Singh is leading a high-level delegation comprising senior officials from the ministries of defence and external affairs during his Sri Lanka visit.