Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to attend a two-day BRICS summit bringing together leaders from India, Russia, Iran and other members of the 11-nation bloc.

Xi received a ceremonial welcome on his arrival, including a red-carpet reception, an honour guard of soldiers and performances by traditional dancers dressed in colourful attire.

The summit is expected to focus heavily on major geopolitical and economic challenges, with the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global trade tensions and energy security high on the agenda.

Xi is scheduled to hold face-to-face talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Saturday, according to India's foreign ministry.

The meeting comes as Beijing and New Delhi seek to manage differences while strengthening economic and diplomatic ties between the two major Asian powers.

China said ahead of the meeting that it was prepared to deepen engagement with India.

“China is ready to work with India ... by strengthening communication, enhancing cooperation, and properly handling differences,” Beijing said.

The BRICS summit brings together emerging and major economies at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, trade uncertainty and growing concerns over energy supplies. The discussions are expected to underline the bloc's efforts to increase cooperation and strengthen its influence in global affairs. (ILKHA)