Tianjin [China], August 31 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to the BRICS Summit that India will host in 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
President Xi thanked Prime Minister Modi for the invitation and offered China’s support to India’s BRICS Presidency. India is preparing to take over the leadership of BRICS from the current president, Brazil.
PM Modi also expressed support for China’s Presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the summit in Tianjin, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin. They had previously met in Kazan, Russia, in 2024 on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
In July this year, Prime Minister Modi, during his intervention at the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, said India will attempt to give a “new form” to BRICS in 2026. He explained that BRICS will stand for Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability. Just as during India’s G-20 chairmanship, priority was given to the concerns of the Global South, India will advance BRICS with a people-centric and humanity-first approach.
The 17th BRICS Summit was held under the theme “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.” Xi Jinping had participated virtually. Commitments were adopted across strategic areas including global governance, finance, health, artificial intelligence, climate change, peace, and security.
In addition to the main declaration, BRICS leaders endorsed three supplementary frameworks: the BRICS Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance, the BRICS Leaders’ Declaration on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence, and the BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases.
The Climate Finance declaration marked a first-of-its-kind collective BRICS commitment under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. It proposed mobilizing USD 300 billion annually by 2035 for climate-related investments, emphasizing accessibility, timeliness, and concessional terms. The Rio summit also announced the establishment of a BRICS Climate Research Platform to harmonize data, share best practices, and advance joint modeling.
The AI governance statement emphasized that artificial intelligence should advance inclusive development, reduce digital inequalities, and empower the Global South through UN-led multilateral frameworks.
The BRICS grouping currently comprises 11 members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran. It serves as a coordination forum for countries of the Global South, facilitating cooperation across multiple sectors.
Meanwhile, during his bilateral meeting with President Xi in Tianjin, Prime Minister Modi underlined the importance of peace and tranquility along the border for the continued development of bilateral relations. The two leaders noted with satisfaction the successful disengagement last year and the maintenance of peace since then.
They expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary issue, guided by the overall perspective of bilateral relations and the long-term interests of both peoples. They acknowledged the important decisions taken by Special Representatives earlier this month and pledged further support for their efforts.
Both leaders welcomed the positive momentum in relations since their last meeting in Kazan in October 2024. They reaffirmed that India and China are development partners, not rivals, and that differences should not turn into disputes. They emphasized that stable ties and cooperation between their 2.8 billion people, based on mutual respect, interest, and sensitivity, are essential for the growth of both nations as well as for a multipolar world and multipolar Asia.
They further noted the need to strengthen people-to-people ties through direct flights and visa facilitation, building on the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and tourist visas. On trade, they recognized the role of their economies in stabilizing global commerce and underlined the need to expand bilateral trade and investment while reducing deficits.
Prime Minister Modi stressed that India and China both pursue strategic autonomy and that their relations should not be viewed through the lens of a third country. The leaders deemed it necessary to expand common ground on bilateral, regional, and global issues such as counterterrorism and fair trade in multilateral platforms.
Prime Minister Modi also met with Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China. Modi shared his vision for bilateral relations and sought Cai’s support to realize the vision of the two leaders. Cai reiterated China’s desire to expand exchanges and strengthen ties in line with the consensus reached between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi. (ANI)
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