BRICS 2026: Xi Jinping and Modi Seek Cooperation on AI and Climate Amid Border Tensions
At the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, leaders including Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi sought cooperation on artificial intelligence and climate change while addressing ongoing border tensions and trade turbulence.
Newsnibs Staff
- 2026-09-14
- Updated 3:53 AM UTC
(New Delhi, India)
The 18th BRICS Summit concluded on September 13 in New Delhi, bringing together leaders representing 11 members and 10 partner countries as the bloc celebrated its 20th anniversary. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the gathering, which focused on trade turbulence, energy security, artificial intelligence, climate change, and a fairer global order. Modi noted during the meetings that the group accounts for 50 percent of the world's population, 40 percent of global GDP, and more than 25 percent of global trade.
The gathering marked Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to India since 2019 and his first high-level contact with Narendra Modi in six years, following a 2020 military clash along their disputed border. Heavy military deployments remain present in the Galwan Valley and Depsang Plains along the 3,500-kilometre disputed border, and the underlying territorial dispute remains unresolved. Both leaders expressed a commitment to a resolution, aiming to foster improved ties through restored flights, visas, and people-to-people exchanges.
BRICS reached a rare joint agreement calling for maximum restraint and calm in the region referred to as the Middle East by Western outlets and Middle East/West Asia in joint statement contexts, following US-Israeli strikes on February 28 that sparked the regional conflict. Foreign ministers had previously failed to agree on a statement regarding the area in May due to divisions between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Addressing technological cooperation, Ren Yan stated, "If we lose the opportunity of AI, developing countries may lose a lot of development opportunities for the future," adding that "developing countries are the sufferers. We pay a lot." Xi Jinping remarked that "a world without rules is like an intersection without traffic lights; chaos and disorder are inevitable." Vladimir Putin called for a "new, more just, multipolar world order." China will hold the upcoming BRICS presidency and plans to host the next summit, prioritizing technology and climate solutions.
