Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled new AI, trade and economic initiatives at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, pushing the bloc to deepen ties as a platform for Global South development. Putin called the bloc a driving force for a fairer world order, while the gathering also produced a joint declaration on the Middle East backed by Iran and the UAE.
Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled initiatives spanning artificial intelligence, trade and economic cooperation on Sunday to deepen ties among "Greater BRICS" nations. He told the bloc's leaders in New Delhi that success depends on laying a solid foundation for pragmatic cooperation.
AI and trade initiatives
China will lead the establishment of a BRICS AI Open Source Zone to advance cooperation on large language models, AI training and an open AI ecosystem, Xi said. He also proposed a BRICS Special Economic Zone partnership and said China will host a BRICS Service Trade Forum next year to boost trade and investment ties.
BRICS nations should further cooperate, maintain the stability of industrial and supply chains, and cultivate an integrated market, Xi told the summit's closing session. India chairs the bloc in 2026, and China takes over in 2027, with both seeking a wider partnership to raise the group's global clout.
An expanding bloc
BRICS has expanded to include Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates beyond its original five members, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which came together two decades ago to shift a world order dominated by the United States. Ten partner countries now span emerging economies across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. China and Russia sometimes refer to the larger grouping as "Greater BRICS."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the benefits of solutions developed within BRICS should not stay limited to the bloc but be made adaptable and accessible to the wider Global South. Russian President Vladimir Putin called BRICS a powerful driving force toward a fairer, multipolar world order and urged members to combine their economies' competitive advantages.
Middle East tensions loom over the summit
The gathering took place amid renewed fighting in the Gulf region, with tit-for-tat attacks between the United States and Iran, and Iran-backed Houthi strikes widening the conflict by hitting Saudi Arabia. Even so, the summit reached consensus on a joint declaration backed by Iran and the UAE on Saturday, expressing deep concern over the escalation in the Middle East and urging maximum restraint.
Separately, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi on the sidelines, the highest-level meeting between the two countries' officials since the conflict began, to discuss de-escalation and regional stability.
Source: Reuters
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