Xi Jinping reaches New Delhi for BRICS Summit, to hold talks with PM Modi (File photo) New Delhi: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday morning to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, accompanied by two of China’s most powerful officials - Cai Qi and Wang Yi, news agency PTI reported. Xi is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit, in what will be his first visit to India in nearly seven years. Xi left Beijing on Saturday morning for New Delhi at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Xi’s entourage includes Cai Qi, a member of the high-powered Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee. Also travelling with Xi is Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister and a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xinhua reported. The presence of the two senior officials gives Xi’s India visit an added diplomatic weight, particularly as New Delhi and Beijing work to stabilise ties following the 2020 Eastern Ladakh standoff. Wang Yi has been closely involved in discussions with India on bilateral ties and the boundary issue. Ahead of Xi’s visit, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Wang held extensive talks in Beijing last month. During the 25th round of Special Representatives’ talks in Beijing on August 25, the two sides reached an eight-point consensus, including an agreement to advance discussions on an early and substantial harvest of boundary delimitation and border management. Xi’s visit comes as India and China seek to move beyond years of strained ties. It will also be the third consecutive year that Modi and Xi have met, following their meetings in Kazan and Tianjin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. "China will work with India to act on the strategic guidance of the two leaders, handle bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, step up communication, enhance cooperation, properly handle differences, and be friends enjoying good-neighbourliness and partners helping each other succeed," she said. Mao said Xi will attend and address the BRICS Summit and hold in-depth exchanges with other leaders on major issues, including the current international situation, the development of BRICS mechanisms and deepening practical cooperation. She said Xi would also put forward China's important initiatives and propositions to chart the course for greater BRICS cooperation. On the significance of the New Delhi summit amid the Iran-US conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war, Mao said China advocates a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable approach to security. "We are committed to promoting the political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue. We look forward to working with fellow BRICS countries to promote dialogue and negotiation to resolve differences and jointly safeguard regional and global peace and stability," she said.