Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday called for a stronger and more united Global South at the BRICS 2026 Summit, saying the world order must be based on equality and international law rather than the power of a few nations. He also announced five initiatives aimed at deepening cooperation among BRICS countries in artificial intelligence, trade, digital technology, manufacturing and talent development.
Xi said international law and global rules should apply to all countries equally and “free from double standards”. The Chinese President also called on Global South countries to “hold high the banner of multilateralism” and uphold the authority and role of the United Nations. He said multilateral institutions should be reformed and made more efficient while ensuring equal participation by all countries in international affairs. Xi said China would provide digital skills training and promote technological exchanges and greater industrial cooperation among member countries. “Global South countries should jointly defend the rule of law in international affairs, safeguard the basic norms of international relations including sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and the peaceful settlement of disputes, and ensure that international law and international rules are applied to all, free from double standards,” Xi said in an official release.
He urged Global South countries to jointly defend the rule of law and uphold basic principles of international relations, including sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs and the peaceful settlement of disputes. He stressed that nations, regardless of their size, strength or wealth, must be treated as equal members of the international community. China will work towards establishing a BRICS AI open-source community and support cooperation in developing and applying large language models. Beijing will also organise specialised AI seminars and training courses and build an open ecosystem for artificial intelligence. Xi proposed a BRICS special economic zone partnership under which member countries can establish an intelligent portal, coordinate policies and create a new frontier for open development. China will push for the establishment of a BRICS digital ecosystem cloud platform.
