Global experts on Xi's BRICS speech: China leads new chapter in BRICS cooperation

Addressing the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on BRICS to firmly stand on the right side of history and strive to be a pioneer of the times.

Speaking to CGTN, several international experts commended Xi's speech, stressing that the relevant initiatives proposed by China hold significant practical importance and expressing hope that China will continue to provide more tangible support to countries around the world.

During the summit, Xi proposed an initiative to promote new industrialization through artificial intelligence (AI) among BRICS countries, adding that China is willing to work with all parties to deliver more outcomes in research, development and application, and deepen cooperation in industrial and supply chains.

Ekaterina Zaklyazminskaya, head of the Center for World Politics and Strategic Analysis at the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said the initiative for AI-empowered new industrialization, proposed by Xi, will help BRICS countries blaze a new path of industrialization and master cutting-edge achievements in AI.

China is striving to bridge the digital technology gap between developed and developing nations in the field of AI, aiming to prevent countries with weak digital infrastructure from being marginalized amidst the wave of technological advancement, Zaklyazminskaya told CGTN.

Stressing that the initiative holds significant practical importance, she expressed hope that it will continue to be implemented and advanced during China's BRICS presidency in 2027.

Noting that the international community holds high expectations for China taking over the BRICS presidency next year, Zaklyazminskaya said China, as the largest economy within BRICS, has accumulated extensive experience in industrialization, cross-border investment, and large-scale infrastructure projects, and can help advance and ensure the sustained implementation of the BRICS agenda.

BRICS countries are committed to more pragmatic cooperation, she said, adding that China possesses extensive experience within the BRICS framework and in its engagement with Global South countries. "It is expected that China will provide tangible support to countries around the world."

Xi, while addressing the summit, emphasized that BRICS countries should uphold a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, oppose the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, reject violations of other countries' sovereignty and interference in their internal affairs, and play a constructive role in resolving hotspot issues, making a distinctive BRICS contribution to finding solutions that address both symptoms and root causes.

Former Ambassador of Chile to China Fernando Reyes Matta said China has chaired BRICS three times in the first quarter of the 21st century. Now, it is poised to steer the group into the century's second quarter – an era defined by greater challenges, profound global shifts, and long-accumulated solidarity values. 

Driven by transformative breakthroughs in areas such as AI and green technology, this new chapter demands a comprehensive leap forward in global development and cooperation, Matta told CGTN.

"So, I see there is a very strong interaction between the Global South, China's leadership, proposals for change toward the future, and common acceleration for shared growth," Matta added.

Unlike traditional fragmented collaboration, BRICS advances multi-field, horizontal cooperation mechanisms built not on unilateral dominance, but on the multipolar level championed by Xi, said Adolfo Laborde, academic at the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics in Mexico.

"It features greater inclusivity, opening participation not merely to full BRICS members, but also to partner countries," Laborde told CGTN.

Rooted in strong political consensus, such inclusive integration consolidates and deepens cooperative bonds across BRICS, Laborde said, adding that it offers a pragmatic response to mounting global crises, defusing risks through political dialogue and delivering a powerful message of peace amid global uncertainties.