China’s Xi Jinping expected to visit India after 7 years. What’s on the agenda?

After two years of a cautious thaw, China and India are heading towards a pivotal test: can the relationship move beyond managed optics to meaningful engagement?

President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to cross paths next week at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Sources expect a short, tightly managed encounter on the sidelines of the August 31-September 1 summit that would set the stage for the main event – in India.

The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed on Wednesday that Xi would attend the SCO summit, while Modi is also expected to participate.

The fuller sit-down is planned for New Delhi from September 12-13, when Xi is expected to attend the Brics summit with a reported delegation of around 400. This will be the Chinese leader’s first visit to India in seven years and both sides are working hard to churn out deliverables.

The disputed China-India border is expected to be high on the agenda when Xi meets Modi in the Indian capital, alongside trade, investment and people-to-people ties, including visas, according to people familiar with the negotiations.

Beijing has not officially confirmed Xi’s India visit, saying only that China attaches importance to Brics cooperation and supports India in hosting the summit.