At the BRICS 2026 Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration among countries in the Global South. On the summit’s second day, Xi put forth five new initiatives designed to bolster cooperation among emerging economies, highlighting the importance of shared global governance. He stressed that international rules should be shaped collectively by all nations and urged BRICS countries to uphold principles such as international law, sovereign equality, non-interference, and peaceful conflict resolution. Xi also denounced the “might makes right” mentality, advocating for rules to be enforced uniformly, without double standards.
The proposed initiatives from China span several critical areas: artificial intelligence, trade and investment, the digital economy, intelligent manufacturing, and the development of science and technology talent. A key component of these initiatives is the creation of a BRICS AI open-source community, which aims to foster collaboration on large language models and work towards an inclusive AI ecosystem. Additionally, China suggested a trade and investment facilitation initiative that would include a partnership for BRICS special economic zones and the establishment of a new BRICS Forum on Trade in Services.
Under the digital cooperation initiative, plans have been laid out for the creation of a BRICS digital ecosystem cloud platform. This platform would focus on enhancing digital skills training and facilitating technology exchanges among member countries. The intelligent manufacturing initiative is another significant proposal, where China pledges support for the development of smart factories and the establishment of common standards to advance manufacturing modernization.
The final initiative zeroes in on nurturing science and technology talent. China proposes the formation of a BRICS engineer cultivation alliance, alongside youth exchange programs aimed at fostering innovation and developing skilled professionals. These initiatives collectively aim to not only strengthen economic ties among the BRICS nations but also to prepare a robust framework for future growth and collaboration in key technological and economic sectors.