NEW DELHI, Sept 13 (Reuters) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday announced initiatives ranging from artificial intelligence to trade aimed at deepening cooperation among 'Greater BRICS' emerging economies, as Beijing seeks to turn the expanded grouping into a practical platform for Global South development.
Addressing the annual BRICS leaders' summit in New Delhi, Xi said the success of the 'Greater BRICS Initiative' would depend on building a solid foundation for pragmatic cooperation, according to the official Xinhua news agency. He called on member nations to expand cooperation, keep industrial and supply chains stable and work toward an integrated market.
India, which holds the 2026 chair, and China, which is set to chair in 2027, are both seeking a broader partnership to increase the grouping's global influence.
China will take the lead in creating a BRICS AI Open Source Zone to promote 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 would host a BRICS Service Trade Forum next year to strengthen trade and investment ties.
Expanded role for 'Greater BRICS'
BRICS has moved well beyond its original five members — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — which joined forces two decades ago with the aim of reshaping a world order long dominated by the United States. The bloc has since added Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates, while 10 partner countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East have broadened its reach across the Global South. China and Russia sometimes describe the larger grouping as 'Greater BRICS'.
The expansion gives the bloc a wider mix of energy producers, manufacturing hubs and fast-growing consumer markets, adding weight to its calls for a more multipolar system. But it also brings together countries with competing interests, making consensus harder to achieve and raising questions about how quickly new initiatives can be implemented.
Modi, Putin frame BRICS as voice for Global South
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said earlier that the benefits of solutions developed within BRICS should not remain limited to the bloc, but should be adaptable and accessible to meet the needs of the Global South. Russian President Vladimir Putin called BRICS a powerful driving force toward a new, fairer and multipolar world order, urging members to find ways to combine the competitive advantages of their individual economies.
Diplomatic test amid Middle East tensions
The summit took place as fighting in the Gulf region intensified, with tit-for-tat attacks by the United States and Iran and Iran-backed Houthis widening the conflict through strikes on Saudi Arabia. Despite those tensions, the weekend summit achieved a notable diplomatic result on Saturday by reaching consensus on a joint declaration backed by both Iran and the UAE.
The declaration expressed deep concern over the continued escalation of tension in the Middle East and urged maximum restraint. In a separate development, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi on the sidelines, the highest-level meeting between officials of the two countries since the conflict began. They discussed de-escalation, stability and efforts to advance regional peace and development.
Reporting by Saurabh Sharma, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Shivangi Acharya, Nikunj Ohri, Aftab Ahmed, Sakshi Dayal, Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Hritam Mukherjee in New Delhi and Casey Hall in Shanghai; Writing by YP Rajesh; Editing by Clarence Fernandez