Brics summit: Xi urges states to stand on ‘right side of history’, floats AI plan

On Sep 12, 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping has used his address at the Brics summit to deliver a thinly veiled critique of US policies, calling on members to “firmly stand on the right side of history” and deepen cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence.

Speaking at the bloc’s summit in New Delhi on Saturday, Xi proposed an initiative on “AI-empowered new industrialisation” designed to deepen collaboration on industry and supply chains, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The call came as the bloc was celebrating its 20th anniversary, having grown from a small economic framework into what Xi calls “the most influential cooperation platform for emerging markets and developing countries in today’s world”.

At the same time, the gathering is being held against a backdrop of regional and global turmoil, from the war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict to protectionism and tariff tensions. And its unity is being tested by divisions such as Iran’s repeated attacks on fellow members, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Xi’s attendance at the summit is the latest in a flurry of diplomatic activities preceding his trip to the United States, efforts that are expected to give him the upper hand in his meeting with his US counterpart, Donald Trump.

Brics, a bloc of developing nations, has increasingly been viewed as a counterweight to Western-led institutions and a platform for building an alternative international order.

As well as the host, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other high-profile attendees include Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian.

Source link