KATHMANDU: The 18th BRICS Summit is underway in New Delhi, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit.
During the meeting, President Xi said China and India should view their bilateral relationship from a strategic perspective while keeping long-term development in mind.
Although the two countries have differences, Xi noted that China and India have continued to support and cooperate with each other to pursue shared development. Xi, who arrived in New Delhi on Saturday, recalled that he and Prime Minister Modi had met more than 20 times and reached several important agreements during those interactions.
He said that as the world’s two most populous countries and members of the Global South, China and India have an important responsibility toward building a shared future for humanity.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi welcomed President Xi and thanked China for its support and cooperation during India’s BRICS presidency. He said the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss various areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
During the summit, BRICS member states unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026. The declaration expressed serious concern over ongoing tensions in West Asia and called for maximum restraint, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and the pursuit of peace through diplomatic means.
It also stressed the need for countries to work together, in accordance with international law, to maintain the smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy.
Addressing the summit, President Xi announced that China would assume the BRICS chairmanship next year and host the 19th BRICS Summit.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi proposed 10 measures to reform global governance and emphasised the need to bring the Global South into the mainstream of global decision-making.
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