Xi Jinping Tells BRICS 'Might Makes Right' Must End, Unveils Five-Point Tech and Trade Pact

The BRICS summit that opened in New Delhi on September 11, 2026 wrapped up Sunday with Chinese President Xi Jinping delivering the closing session's marquee address, calling on the Global South to jointly reject what he called the West's "might makes right" logic.

"A world without rules is like a crossroads without traffic lights, where chaos and disorder are all but guaranteed," Xi told the gathering, according to The Hindu. "Fairness and justice is a universal aspiration, and international rules must be written by all countries."

Xi said international law must be "applied to all, free from double standards," a line multiple outlets, including The New Indian Express and The Hindu, described as aimed squarely at Western powers. He argued all nations, "regardless of their size, strength or wealth," are equal members of the international community.

Five initiatives, one already flagged as awkward for Beijing

Xi rolled out a five-point plan he said would "cement the foundation of greater BRICS cooperation," according to NDTV. The pieces:

• A BRICS AI open-source community, with China pledging to support development of large language models and build what Xi called "an open ecosystem for AI"
• A BRICS special economic zone partnership to coordinate trade and investment policy
• A digital industry ecosystem cloud platform
• An "intelligent manufacturing" cooperation track
• A joint science and technology development initiative

Xi framed China as ready to "be a pioneer" on the AI piece specifically, per NDTV and The Hindu. That pitch lands the same week Beijing has reportedly been weighing tighter domestic controls on its own open-weight AI models. A tension exists in Xi's message that none of Sunday's summit coverage from Indian or wire outlets addressed directly.

Modi's discomfort, Xi's empty chair at dinner

The summit wasn't without visible friction. The Times of India reported Prime Minister Narendra Modi paused mid-speech to ask "Is it okay?" as Xi appeared uncomfortable during proceedings, and noted Xi skipped a gala dinner Modi hosted for BRICS leaders on the summit's first night. Neither the Chinese government nor Indian officials offered a public explanation for the dinner absence in the reporting reviewed.

Ground News, aggregating coverage from outlets across the spectrum, noted BRICS leaders adopted a formal declaration Sunday backing what it called "more just and equitable global governance," with the bloc committing to keep voicing Global South priorities going forward. No specific funding commitments or implementation timeline for Xi's five initiatives appeared in any of the reporting.

The case Xi is making, and the case against it

The frustration Xi is tapping into is real and shared by other leaders at the table. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, facing what NPR described as a sweeping U.S. sanctions regime and blockade, told reporters Friday that expanding trade in national currencies among BRICS members was "one of the most important steps" the bloc could take. Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing the BRICS Business Forum the same day, said Moscow was "in favor of our interests" and open to cooperation broadly. For countries locked out of dollar-based finance or facing U.S. tariffs, a push for rules "written by all countries" rather than dictated by Washington is a coherent, defensible position.

But the messenger complicates the message. Xi's government does not recognize Taiwan's sovereignty, maintains contested military outposts across the South China Sea in defiance of a 2016 international tribunal ruling, and polices its own citizens' speech and information access more tightly than any BRICS member criticizes the West for doing. "Sovereign equality" and "non-interference in internal affairs" are principles China invokes selectively, applying them to itself and to friendly regimes like Russia and Iran while pressing territorial claims against neighbors including India, Japan and the Philippines.

What happens next with Xi's five-point pitch is genuinely open. No dollar figures, deadlines, or hosting arrangements for the proposed AI open-source community or special economic zone partnership were disclosed in New Delhi. Whether BRICS members follow through, or whether the declaration adopted Sunday becomes another set of unfunded aspirations like past summit communiqués, will depend on what member governments actually commit at the next BRICS chair's summit.