Key Leaders Gather at BRICS Summit as China Focuses on Expanded Collaboration and Pace

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday left for Russia to attend the BRICS summit, where he is expected to meet leaders of the member countries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines.

Xi will articulate China’s vision for “greater cooperation” of the BRICS bloc, which has now expanded to 10 members, and “open a new era for the Global South to seek strength through solidarity” at the three-day summit.

The summit of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS), which now has expanded with five additional members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, is being held in the Russian city of Kazan, about 900 km east of Moscow, from October 22 to 24.

Xi left Beijing for the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Xi's entourage included Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and the foreign minister, it said.

China on Monday parried questions on whether there will be a meeting between Modi and Xi.

“We will keep you posted if anything comes up,” was the response of the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Li Jian on the likelihood of the Modi-Xi meeting.

However, the prospects of their meeting brightened after India on Monday announced a major breakthrough ending the over four-year-long military standoff in Eastern Ladakh with China, which had brought the relations to a standstill.

China, on its part, is yet to react to India's announcement.

Ahead of the summit, China on Monday said its focus will be “greater BRICS cooperation”.

“Let me reaffirm that this year marks the beginning of greater BRICS cooperation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a media briefing here on Monday, elaborating on China's view of the BRICS.

This summit is the first one after the expansion of BRICS, which draws widespread attention from the international community, he said.

“Since its founding, BRICS has followed the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, remained true to its founding purpose of seeking strength through solidarity, stayed committed to upholding multilateralism and become a positive and stable force for good in international affairs,” he said.

During the summit, President Xi Jinping will have an in-depth exchange of views with other leaders on the international landscape, the BRICS practical cooperation, the development of the BRICS mechanism and important issues of mutual interest, he said.

“China stands ready to work with other parties to strive for the steady and sustained development of greater BRICS cooperation, open a new era for the Global South to seek strength through solidarity and jointly promote world peace and development,” he said.

This year’s BRICS summit assumes significance with five members joining the grouping. Many more countries, including Sri Lanka and Pakistan, are reported to have evinced interest to join the grouping of the emerging economies.