Xi Urges BRICS to Be ‘Pioneers of the Times’ as China Claims 2027 Chair
Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the first session of the 18th BRICS Leaders Summit in New Delhi on September 12, delivering a keynote speech that cast the bloc as the leading voice of the Global South—and confirming that China will assume the BRICS chairmanship in 2027 to host the 19th summit.
Speaking to leaders gathered under India’s chairmanship, Xi titled his address “Shouldering the Responsibility of the Times, Being Pioneers of the Era,” and framed the summit as a pivotal moment for a grouping that has expanded dramatically in recent years.
A 20-Year Milestone
Xi noted that 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of BRICS cooperation, describing the mechanism as “the most influential cooperation platform for emerging markets and developing countries,” according to Xinhua News.
“Through twenty years of trials, unity and cooperation have always been the source of strength for the BRICS cause,” Xi said, calling on members to “firmly stand on the right side of history, bravely be pioneers of the times, lead the international order toward a more just and reasonable direction, and join hands to build a community with a shared future for mankind.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the meeting. The session was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, who represented President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Accompanying Xi were Cai Qi, a Politburo Standing Committee member, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The declaration adopted at the meeting, the New Delhi Declaration, was issued as a summary, per China News.
Four Roles for BRICS
In his speech, Xi outlined four “pioneer” roles for the bloc, the full text of which was published by Xinhua:
Innovation and development. Xi urged stronger cooperation on artificial intelligence, welcoming BRICS participation in the World AI Cooperation Organization and proposing a BRICS AI Empowering New Industrialization Initiative. In a pointed passage, he criticized attempts to fragment global supply chains. “Facts will prove that ‘decoupling and breaking chains’ cannot block our development process, and ‘small yard, high fence’ will only imprison oneself and divide the world,” he said.
Peace and stability. Xi called for upholding a common security outlook and opposing Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation. On the Middle East and Gulf, he reiterated a four-point proposal calling for de-escalation and a halt to fighting, stressing that the fundamental solution to the Palestinian issue is the two-state solution.
Inter-civilization mutual learning. He proposed hosting a BRICS cultural exchanges forum and deepening cooperation in culture, tourism, and education, with a focus on youth exchanges.
Reforming global governance. Xi backed the authority of the United Nations and a WTO-centered multilateral trading system, opposing the abuse of tariffs and “all forms of protectionism.”
India’s Push and a Hard-Won Declaration
The summit was notable for Xi’s first visit to India in nearly seven years. Talks between Modi and Xi were held on the sidelines in the afternoon of September 12, as Indian outlets reported.
The New Delhi Declaration was adopted by consensus after last-minute negotiations bridged differences between Iran and the UAE over the conflict in West Asia. Because BRICS operates by consensus, opposition from a single member could have blocked the joint statement.
Modi used the session to press for reform of global institutions. “Global South today is in the front row of global crises, but in the back row of decision-making,” he said, adding that UN Security Council reform “can no longer be delayed.” He also called for turning the Global South “from a rule taker into a rule shaper.”
The declaration backed the aspirations of India and Brazil for greater roles at the UN, including the Security Council, with China and Russia reiterating their support as permanent members. It also expressed serious concern over rising unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures, condemned unilateral coercive measures contrary to international law, and backed WTO reform and restoration of its two-tier dispute settlement mechanism. China’s move to grant zero-tariff treatment to 53 African diplomatic partner countries was praised.
Analysis: A Bloc at a Crossroads
The summit underscored both the expanding ambitions of BRICS and the constraints it faces. The grouping now accounts for nearly half the world’s population and roughly 40 percent of global GDP, yet its consensus model leaves it vulnerable to the very disagreements it must resolve—as the Iran-UAE negotiations demonstrated.
China’s 2027 chairmanship will be closely watched. Chinese media have signaled priorities including the digital economy, AI, green development, poverty reduction, and agriculture—areas where Beijing hopes to convert rhetoric into frameworks. The New Delhi Declaration formally expressed full support for China hosting the 19th summit.
Meanwhile, the declaration’s language on trade reflects mounting friction with Western economies. Its rejection of “unilateral, punitive, discriminatory and protectionist measures”—explicitly citing carbon border adjustment mechanisms—signals that climate and trade policy will remain a flashpoint.
What’s Next
The second and final day of the summit is scheduled for September 13, with further sessions on economic cooperation and global challenges. Attention will then turn to how the declared reform agenda—on the UNSC, IMF, and WTO—can be translated into action, and whether the Modi-Xi engagement yields broader de-escalation between Asia’s two largest economies.
For China, the road to 2027 begins now: the task of shaping the bloc’s “third golden decade” will test whether BRICS can move from shared declarations to shared results.