China has used the 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi to push a broader economic and technology agenda for the expanded group, with President Xi Jinping calling for deeper cooperation in artificial intelligence, trade, investment, finance and industrial development.
Speaking on the final day of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit on September 13, Xi proposed several initiatives intended to turn the enlarged grouping into a more practical platform for cooperation among emerging economies and countries of the Global South.
Among the most notable proposals was the creation of a BRICS artificial intelligence open-source community, through which member countries could cooperate on the development and application of large language models and expand AI training and technical exchanges.
China Places AI at the Centre of the BRICS Agenda
Artificial intelligence has become an increasingly important area of competition between major economies, and Xi’s proposal places BRICS directly within that technological debate.
China said it would take the lead in establishing an open-source AI community among BRICS countries. The proposal includes cooperation on large language models, specialised AI seminars and training programmes, with the broader objective of building what Beijing described as an open AI ecosystem.
The proposal also comes as governments around the world debate how AI should be developed, regulated and governed.
For developing economies, access to computing resources, technical expertise, data and skilled workers remains a major challenge. A cooperative BRICS framework could therefore give participating countries another avenue for sharing technology and expertise.
However, the success of such an initiative would depend on how much practical cooperation follows the political commitments.
A Bigger Economic Platform
Xi’s proposals extend beyond technology.
He called for deeper cooperation in trade and investment and proposed a BRICS special economic zone partnership designed to coordinate policies and create new opportunities for economic cooperation.
China also plans to host a BRICS Forum on Trade in Services in 2027.
The proposals reflect an effort to move BRICS beyond summit declarations and towards more structured economic mechanisms.
The expanded grouping already includes major emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil, Russia and South Africa, alongside newer members including Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. Reuters reported that the bloc also has 10 partner countries.
Together, the expanded group gives BRICS a substantially wider geographic and economic reach.
Xi Calls for Stronger Supply Chains
Another major theme of Xi’s address was economic resilience.
He urged BRICS countries and their partners to maintain stable and uninterrupted industrial and supply chains while developing a larger integrated market.
That message comes at a time when geopolitical conflicts, trade restrictions and disruptions to major transport routes have increased concerns about the reliability of global supply chains.
BRICS countries have increasingly presented cooperation among emerging economies as a way to reduce vulnerability to disruptions in global trade.
Xi argued that the grouping should make use of its connections across emerging markets and the wider Global South while maintaining openness and cooperation.
The Financial System Is Also Part of the Agenda
The BRICS discussion is not limited to trade and technology.
China has also called for changes to the international financial architecture that would give developing countries greater representation.
At the summit, Xi argued for greater cooperation among Global South countries and for reforms to international institutions.
The issue is already part of the wider BRICS agenda. The group’s New Delhi declaration reaffirmed calls for greater voice and representation for developing countries within institutions including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
This reflects one of BRICS’ longstanding political objectives: increasing the influence of emerging and developing economies in institutions traditionally dominated by the world’s largest established economies.
India and China Put Differences Aside for the Summit
The proposals came during a summit that also carried significance for relations between China and India.
The two countries have experienced serious tensions since a deadly border confrontation in 2020. Relations have gradually stabilised, however, and Xi’s visit to India marked his first trip there since 2019.
Despite their strategic rivalry, both countries have an interest in maintaining BRICS as an influential multilateral platform.
India is chairing BRICS in 2026, while China is scheduled to take over the chairmanship in 2027.
That transition gives Beijing an opportunity to shape the group’s priorities during the next phase of its expansion.
What the New BRICS Agenda Means for the Global South
The significance of the summit extends beyond the countries formally belonging to BRICS.
Many developing economies face similar challenges: limited access to advanced technology, high financing costs, infrastructure gaps and vulnerability to disruptions in international trade.
A larger BRICS platform could provide opportunities for cooperation in areas such as AI training, investment, industrial development, financial access and trade.
But the size and diversity of the group also create difficulties.
BRICS contains countries with different political systems, economic interests and strategic relationships with the United States and other major powers. Turning broad declarations into common policies will therefore be considerably harder than agreeing on them at a summit.
From Political Group to Practical Platform
Xi’s proposals reflect a broader attempt to make BRICS more operational.
Rather than focusing exclusively on political statements, the agenda presented in New Delhi includes concrete areas of cooperation: open-source AI, trade in services, special economic zones, industrial upgrading, supply-chain coordination and financial cooperation.
Whether these initiatives become functioning institutions will determine how much influence the expanded BRICS can ultimately exercise.
The group is entering a period in which its size gives it greater potential economic weight, but its internal differences remain significant.
The challenge for its members will be turning that potential into cooperation that produces measurable benefits for their economies.
The Next Test Comes in 2027
China’s upcoming BRICS chairmanship will provide an early test of whether the proposals announced in New Delhi can move from statements to implementation.
The AI open-source initiative, proposed trade mechanisms and wider financial cooperation will require sustained participation from countries with different economic and political priorities.
For China, the opportunity is also strategic. Greater BRICS cooperation could strengthen its relationships with emerging economies and reinforce its argument for a more multipolar international system.
For other members, the appeal will depend on whether cooperation produces practical benefits rather than simply adding another layer of international declarations.
The New Delhi summit has therefore set an ambitious agenda, but the real measure of the expanded BRICS will be what its members actually build after the leaders leave the summit hall.
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