Breaking the Ice? China’s CPC Reaches Out to BJP and RSS in Back-to-Back Delhi Meetings
China’s Communist Party delegation met BJP leaders and visited RSS headquarters in Delhi in a rare outreach, signaling cautious dialogue amid tense India–China relations.
Today, a quiet political move from Beijing is raising loud questions in New Delhi. Something interesting happened in Delhi this week. On Monday, a delegation (a group of representatives authorised to act on behalf of a large organisation or government or people) from China’s Communist Party walked into the BJP headquarters and met senior party leaders. This itself is rare. But, the incident that happened the next day raised everyone's eyebrows. As of January 13, 2026, when the CPC delegation held its meetings in New Delhi. The same delegation went to the RSS headquarters at Keshav Kunj. That does not happen often at all. When it is thinking like this: when two countries are not talking much at the top but they sometimes start by talking around the edges. This was not a big agreement and no decisions were announced yet. One visit was to the party in power, the other to its ideological backbone. The message observed was simple: China wanted to listen and India chose to hear but without making any promises. The delegation led by the Chinese Vice Minister Sun Hayan held detailed talks with BJP leaders.
Cautious Handshake, No Commitments: BJP–RSS–China Meet
Now, the RSS was quick to clear the air. A senior leader said that this was just a courtesy visit—China asked for the meeting and the RSS agreed. There was no agenda,no discussion on strategy and no ideological exchange. In this meeting, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat was not present because he was travelling. At a time, when India-China ties are still tense, this was a polite interaction and not a political shift.
At the BJP headquarters, the tone was equally cautious. BJP Foreign affairs-in-charge Vijay Chauthaiwale confirmed discussions on advancing inter-party communication, with Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihiong present. BJP national Secretary Arun Singh called the talks as “exploratory”.
Why Does This Meeting Matters Right Now?
It can be referred back to history and judge why this meeting matters right now. Since the BJP came to power in 2014 meetings between the BJP and China’s Communist Party can be counted on one hand: 2014,2015,2017 and 2019. This is the four interactions that happened in six years. Then came June 2020: The Galwan Clash. After that, zero formal political meetings at the top level have been observed for more than four years. There were no further Modi-Xi talks observed. On the sidelines, foreign and defence ministers met only briefly, not face to face. Even the border talks—the Special Representatives restated only in December 2024, after a five year pause. Therefore, when China suddenly shows up in Delhi in 2026, meeting both the BJP and the RSS, it stands out.
Here, the second numerical evidence matters the most: Between 2009 and 2025 not a single inter-party MoU was signed between China Communist Party and any Indian Party. Therefore, zero MoU; zero Policy changes and all real decisions stayed with official diplomats and not with politicians. After this, then comes the political contrast. Since 2014, the BJP has repeatedly attacked the Congress over one CPC MoU signed in 2008. But the number of attacks is far higher than the number of BJP-CPC meetings themselves.
Therefore, this situation is like: China has knocked on the door but India has opened the window; but the lock is still on. The meetings are now over and at this stage there is no follow-up announcement, joint statement or confirmed plan for further talks. Both sides have clearly kept expectations low. The RSS described its interaction as a courtesy visit with no agenda and no ideological discussion, while the BJP has termed its meeting with the CPC exploratory, limited to keeping channels of communication open. From the Chinese side, no agreement, proposal or timeline have been announced yet. For now the situation remains one of wait and watch: conversation has resumed but the resolutions have not.
Currently, the situation at the Line of Actual Control is calm but it is the kind of the calm that needs constant watching. After 2020 clashes, both sides pulled back from major flashpoints like Galwan and Pangong Tso by late 2024 and even old trouble spots such as Depsang and Demchok now have temporary patrol arrangements. So, the big question is about the meetings. Think of it like two neighbours who stopped fighting but still keep locks and cameras on. Should they keep talking or wait till trust truly returns?
