DOMINANT ANGLE
Beijing is upholding the unity of the Global South and multipolarity as the guiding principle of the New Delhi summit, presenting Xi Jinping's five cooperation initiatives as the foundation for a fairer and less Western-dependent international order.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Xi Jinping has introduced five BRICS cooperation initiatives covering AI, trade, digital industry, smart manufacturing, and scientific talent training (ECNS).
- 02
The share of New Development Bank projects funded in local currencies should exceed 45% by 2031, compared to 30% today, according to Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov (CGTN).
- 03
The New Delhi Declaration, adopted on Saturday, decries attempts to unilaterally undermine multilateral institutions, including through deliberate withholding of contributions (ECNS).
ANALYSIS
Beijing, September 14, 2026. Following the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi, the Chinese press is focusing less on internal rivalries and more on the solidarity displayed between countries of the global South in the face of an international order deemed unstable. On Sunday, during the second day of the summit, Xi Jinping called on the BRICS to "rally the global South" and play a stabilizing role in world affairs, as "the international landscape is volatile and risk-laden," according to his remarks reported by the ECNS agency. The Chinese president presented five initiatives for expanded cooperation covering artificial intelligence, trade facilitation, the digital industry, smart manufacturing, and the training of scientific and technological talent.
For Beijing, the collective rise of the global South constitutes "a key driver of global multipolarity." Xi urged members to defend international rule of law, sovereign equality, non-interference, and peaceful settlement of disputes — principles reiterated on Saturday in the New Delhi Declaration, which reaffirms the commitment to reform global governance and deplores attempts to unilaterally undermine multilateral institutions, including through the deliberate withholding of contributions.
According to the South China Morning Post, Xi concluded his trip by proposing to help members develop open-source AI and smart manufacturing, while offering to train young talent. The summit produced a united front against American tariffs and sanctions, but warnings from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the economic weapon of critical minerals revealed internal frictions, analysts note.
In financial terms, the New Development Bank, based in Shanghai, illustrates, according to CGTN, the ambition to reduce dependence on the dollar: the share of projects financed in local currencies is to exceed 45% by 2031, compared to 30% today, according to Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. Researcher Wang Youming sees this as a means of strengthening the financial autonomy of emerging economies in the face of politically motivated sanctions.
