Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 13: The presence of the Chinese president Xi Jinping at the two-day BRICS Summit in New Delhi and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi bilateral talks with him on Saturday that lasted for about 50 minutes are believed to have achieved agreements between the two countries on seven key issues including seeking fair and acceptable solutions to the border disputes and that no differences be allowed to turn into disputes.
After years, India and China have wholeheartedly supported each other’s policies in the BRICS Summit 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, emphasised mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest among others between the two countries.
Among other issues where agreements are claimed to have reached between the two leaders were: the relationship would be viewed from a strategic and long-term perspective, Trade and cultural relations would be further enhanced, Movement between the people of both countries would be promoted, Solutions to economic and business concerns would be sought and Cooperation would be enhanced on regional and global challenges.
The Chinese President Jinping acknowledged that as the World’s two most populous nations and important members of the Global South, both countries have a significant responsibility and must work together. Furthermore, while addressing world leaders on the second day of the BRICS Summit, PM Modi also said our diversity should be our identity and our cooperation our inspiration.
Mr Jinping while addressing the BRICS gathering on the concluding day of the summit on Sunday, send a message that “The might-makes-right logic doesn’t hold” any more as he called for the realignment of the global order and for the Global South to become a key driver of the world’s multi-polarity. He also proposed five initiatives to “cement the foundation of greater BRICS cooperation,” including extending support in developing and implementing artificial intelligence models.
“The Global South, with its collective rise, has become a key driver of world multi-polarity. At the same time, the international landscape is volatile and fraught with risks and challenges. To bring stability to the world and make it a better place, BRICS countries must seize the historical initiative, rally the Global South, be an active, stabilising, and positive force in international affairs, and advance the well-being of all humanity.
“The logic of “might makes right” does not hold, and should have been discarded long ago. Global South countries should jointly defend the rule of law in international affairs, safeguard the basic norms of international relations including sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and the peaceful settlement of disputes, and ensure that international law and international rules are applied to all, free from double standards,” he said in a statement.
Mr Xi stressed that all nations, regardless of their size, strength, and wealth, must be treated as equal members of the global community, and the Global South countries and nations should “hold high the banner of multilateralism, uphold the authority and role of the United Nations, support multilateral institutions in advancing reform and increasing efficiency, and ensure the equal participation of all countries in international affairs.”
He promised that China would strive to establish a BRICS AI open-source community and would support cooperation in developing and applying large language models. He also vowed that his country would build an open ecosystem for AI. “China will be a pioneer in establishing a BRICS AI open-source community, support cooperation in developing and applying large language models, hold specialised AI seminars and training courses, and build an open ecosystem for AI,” he said.
He also proposed establishing a BRICS special economic zone partnership, under which countries can set up an intelligent portal, coordinate policies, and build a new frontier for open development. China would push for establishing a BRICS digital ecosystem cloud platform, he said, promising his nation would impart digital skills training and promote technological exchange and industrial alignment.
He said China stands ready to assist fellow BRICS countries in building smart factories and developing standards and norms, and jointly to promote manufacturing transformation and upgrading. He also proposed setting up a BRICS engineer cultivation alliance for the joint development of engineers and mutual recognition of competency standards.
The BRICS summit, some experts said, was a major diplomatic win for Mr Modi, particularly the “New Delhi Declaration” as BRICS leaders appeared to endorse India’s call for ending all conflict through “dialogue and diplomacy” while stressing the need for collective efforts to ensure the smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy in accordance with “applicable” international law.
BRICS also called for reforms to the UN, UN Security Council, IMF and the World Bank to give developing countries a greater voice. In this direction, China and Russia backed India and Brazil for greater roles in the UN Security Council.
The focus was also on local-currency trade, payment connectivity and strengthening the New Development Bank, rather than an immediate common currency. For example, India pushed for linking BRICS payment systems and exploring interoperability between central bank digital currencies.
BRICS opposed unilateral tariffs, protectionism and economic coercion. On those lines, the New Delhi Declaration expressed concern over unilateral tariffs and non-tariff measures that distort trade and violate WTO principles. RICS also wanted the developing countries to shift from being suppliers to producers. The grouping is focusing on manufacturing, MSMEs, global value chains and resilient supply chains. At the summit, India pushed initiatives such as the BRICS MSME Portal, Startup Innovation Fund and measures to deepen supply-chain cooperation.
Recognising the role of technology as a strategic power, the BRICS declaration prominently featured Artificial intelligence (AI), digital public infrastructure, quantum technology and connectivity in the summit agenda. India showcased 37 deep-tech innovations, including AI-based healthcare systems, quantum computers, semiconductor technologies and advanced satellite platforms. BRICS also shared India’s concerns over state-funding of terrorism, including terror financing and safe havens while strongly condemning the Pahalgam terror attack.