China’s Xi Dominates BRICS Summit at New Delhi in Rehearsal for Meeting With Trump

Communist China’s President Xi Jinping played a central role at a confab ended Sunday at New Delhi, urging national leaders to “stay on the right side of history” and oppose America’s tough policies from the Middle East to Asia.Mr. Xi, rehearsing for his summit with President Trump at the White House on September 24, shone in the showcase for the leaders of BRICS — initially Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa — and now six more countries, including Iran.The conference host, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, was seen grasping the left hand of Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, on his right and the right hand of President Vladimir Putin of Russia on his left.The BRICS nations scored a diplomatic triumph in a joint statement that papered over deep differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, sometimes a target for missiles fired by Iran across the Persian Gulf.It was only after Mr. Pezeshkian had met the UAE president, Mohamed bin Zayed, that the BRICS leaders came up with a joint declaration that was critical, but not as critical as Iran might have liked, of the American role in the Iran war. Mr. bin Zayed was there as leader of one of 10 “outreach” countries invited to participate.The statement did not mention America or Israel by name but denounced “deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.”Referring to the American bombing of Iran’s deepest nuclear facilities in June of last year, the statement said “nuclear safeguards, safety, and security must always be upheld, including in armed conflicts, to protect people and the environment from harm.”In a commentary, India Today said: “The broader language appears to give Iran a condemnation of unilateral military action without requiring the UAE, India and other members to endorse Tehran’s account of the conflict. It could also enable the UAE to interpret the references to sovereignty and unilateral attacks as covering strikes against its territory.”Also important, the conference provided a platform for leaders to denounce sanctions. Mr. Pezeshkian called on BRICS leaders to “create an environment in which no country can disrupt the legitimate trade of another country through monopolizing a financial instrument or technology.”In keeping with India’s longstanding attempts at remaining neutral among competing powers and blocs, Mr. Modi sought to soften the tone. India’s role as BRICS chair, he said, was “based on a people-centric and humanity-first approach” in which “resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability have been our priorities.”Mr. Xi, who will chair next year’s BRICS conference in China, probably at Beijing or Shanghai, matched Mr. Modi in verbiage that provided a cover for China’s rivalry with America. That language is sure to reemerge in his conversation with Mr. Trump at the White House.“Countercurrents of unilateralism and power politics are surging,” he said, in an obvious dig at America’s role in conflicts on opposite sides of Asia. “Multilateralism and the international order are coming under strain, and deficits in peace, development, security and governance continue to widen.”BRICS countries, he said, “should firmly stand on the right side of history, strive to be a pioneer of the times, steer the international order toward greater justice and equity.”Mr. Xi also raised another topic that is sure to come up in his conversation with Mr. Trump: BRICS participation in the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. “China proposed an initiative to promote new industrialization through artificial intelligence among BRICS countries … and deepen cooperation in industrial and supply chains,” he said.For Mr. Xi, the conference was a chance to build up his own role while rationalizing and papering over differences. “The next summit in China,” said a commentary carried by Xinhua, the state news agency, “will help BRICS build even stronger consensus, deepen practical cooperation and strive for a greater voice of the Global South.”For Mr. Modi, “getting 11 members to sign the same document is an achievement,” said India Today. “Getting them to mean the same thing would be a much bigger one.”

China’s Xi Dominates BRICS Summit at New Delhi in Rehearsal for Meeting With Trump

China’s Xi Dominates BRICS Summit at New Delhi in Rehearsal for Meeting With Trump

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