Chinese President Xi Jinping told BRICS countries in New Delhi on Saturday that the BRICS cooperation mechanism has become the world's most influential platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries. He made the remarks at Session I of the 18th BRICS Summit, tying them to the 20th anniversary of BRICS cooperation.
Xi said, “This year marks the 20th anniversary of BRICS cooperation,” and described two decades in which the group has continued to grow and expand. He also said BRICS countries have worked through the global financial crisis, the COVID pandemic, and climate change while safeguarding the common interests of the Global South.
New Delhi and the 18th BRICS Summit
The setting was as important as the message. Xi spoke in New Delhi at the 18th BRICS Summit, giving the remarks a summit-level audience rather than a standalone statement. He also said BRICS has undergone a historic expansion and has built a comprehensive, multifaceted framework for cooperation.
That long arc runs from the first 20 years of BRICS cooperation to a forum Xi now casts as central for emerging markets and developing countries. For BRICS countries, the practical effect is a sharper push toward coordination on development paths that fit national conditions, not a single model imposed from outside.
Xi Jinping on multipolarity
Xi added that “the world is undergoing accelerated transformation unseen in a century” and that “the trend toward a multipolar world is unstoppable.” He said BRICS countries should firmly stand on the right side of history and pioneer innovation-driven development.
He also called for stronger cooperation in artificial intelligence and said BRICS countries are welcome to actively participate in the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. China has proposed an initiative to promote new industrialization through artificial intelligence among BRICS countries, adding a technology track to a group long associated with economic coordination.
The immediate question after Xi’s address is how far BRICS countries turn those general calls into working commitments inside the summit process. Xi laid out the direction: more innovation, more artificial intelligence cooperation, and a wider role for BRICS in the Global South.
