Xi Urges BRICS Middle East Peace Role, Meets Modi During India Visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the BRICS bloc to step forward as a peacemaker in the ongoing Middle East conflict while addressing a member summit in New Delhi on Saturday. Xi stated that Beijing will collaborate with fellow BRICS nations because the ongoing war fundamentally contradicts the common interests of the global community.

The expanded bloc now comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, collectively representing over 40 percent of the world population. The Chinese leader positioned the coalition as a leading force in the Global South designed to foster economic self-reliance and innovation.

"China will work with other BRICS members in that role, as the war does not serve the common interests of the international community," said Xi Jinping in his official address broadcast by state media.

On the sidelines of the summit, Xi held a high-profile meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking his first visit to the country in seven years. State media reported that Xi emphasized Beijing views its relationship with New Delhi through a strategic and long-term perspective.

Bilateral relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors have experienced a cautious thaw following a deadly 2020 border skirmish and subsequent high-level diplomatic visits. Both nations currently hold the rotating BRICS framework while navigating complex economic and diplomatic landscapes with the United States.