New Delhi · Full chronicle and history

On September 19, The Wall Street Journal reported that Xi Jinping temporarily cancelled his attendance at the BRICS summit banquet held in New Delhi, India on September 12 due to physical discomfort, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi attending on his behalf. Official Beijing has not provided an explanation for the absence, prompting outside concerns regarding his health status and power succession, though currently there is no evidence indicating he is seriously ill.

During Xi Jinping's visit to India from September 12 to 13, 2026, his gait and state during public appearances were noted by outsiders as clearly abnormal, sparking speculation about his health and discussions regarding a power crisis within the CCP.

On September 12, at the BRICS summit held in New Delhi, India, Indian Prime Minister Modi suddenly paused during his speech, turned to Xi Jinping and his interpreter twice to ask, "Is it OK?". After Xi Jinping nodded in response, Modi continued his speech. Indian media reported that the cause of this episode remains unclear and may be related to on-site equipment or translation.

The two-day BRICS summit concluded in New Delhi on September 13, 2026, issuing the New Delhi Declaration, which calls on the Middle East region to exercise maximum restraint, avoid actions that could worsen the situation, and condemns, in neutral wording, attacks on civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities.

On the evening of September 13, 2026, Xi Jinping left New Delhi after the BRICS Summit. When boarding the plane, he had no jet bridge assistance and walked up the airstairs on foot; the process was very strenuous, inconsistent with the physical condition of someone in his seventies.

On September 12, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi, India, to attend the two-day BRICS summit. On-site video released by Indian media ANI showed Xi Jinping publicly appearing at New Delhi airport and being welcomed by the Indian side.

During his opening address at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, India, Prime Minister Modi suddenly turned and asked Xi Jinping how he was feeling. The hall fell silent for 16 seconds, sparking speculation abroad about Xi Jinping's physical condition.

At the BRICS summit in New Delhi in September 2026, the concept of a unified BRICS currency pushed by China was not included in the New Delhi Declaration; the declaration only mentioned expanding the use of local currencies for settlement and interconnecting payment systems. India stated clearly that there is currently no proposal to establish a unified BRICS currency.

According to Bloomberg, at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Xi Jinping proposed establishing a BRICS open-source AI community to promote large language model development, application cooperation, and talent training, and suggested setting up a BRICS open-source AI zone, but the proposal was not fully accepted.

According to a video blogger, while Xi Jinping attended the BRICS summit in New Delhi from September 12 to 13, Modi asked him twice during their meeting whether he was well, which was interpreted as a sign that his condition was abnormal; no corroborating evidence has been found in public reports.

At the China-India talks in New Delhi on September 12, 2026, Zhou Hongxu, director of the Central Guard Bureau, appeared beside Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, attending in plain clothes. Eight months after Zhang Youxia was dismissed in January 2026, Zhou Hongxu remains in his post.

Xinhua News Agency grandly announced that President Xi Jinping will visit BRICS countries and travel to New Delhi, saying that a delegation of about 400 people is reportedly ready, and this will be Xi Jinping's first visit to India since 2019.

Leaders of the BRICS group will hold a summit in New Delhi, India in early September. The Iran conflict and disagreements among member states will be core issues, and India faces a difficult test of diplomatic balancing.

At the BRICS New Delhi summit in September 2026, Xi Jinping signed the New Delhi Declaration drafted by India. The declaration includes provisions on establishing reliable and sustainable critical mineral supply chains and opposing the weaponization of critical minerals. After the summit, Modi publicly called on all countries not to weaponize critical minerals.

During the BRICS New Delhi Summit in September 2026, Xi Jinping held a meeting of about 45 minutes with Indian Prime Minister Modi. The two sides failed to reach a consensus on the positioning of China-India relations, and after the meeting Modi paid his respects to Xi Jinping in person as a matter of diplomatic courtesy.

From August 30 to September 3, Xi Jinping attended the SCO summit and visited Egypt, and from September 12 to 13 he traveled to New Delhi, India, with Cai Qi, director of the CCP General Office, accompanying him throughout. Reports said he was in poor condition during his stay in India and skipped the formal banquet that evening.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi held talks with Indian Defense Minister Singh in New Delhi, where the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on maritime security cooperation.

Indian students held protests in New Delhi on August 17, opposing the National Testing Agency's decision to re-examine academic tests, and demanding the abolition of the agency and a judicial investigation.