Illustration: Liu Rui/ GT
All eyes are turning to New Delhi, where the 18th BRICS Summit is set to convene on September 12-13, 2026 — a moment calling for international leadership capable of expanding the scope of cooperation and building trust. The participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping holds particular significance, given his vision’s underlying belief in the value of shared development and the capacity of nations to forge a more balanced future. The summit offers a renewed opportunity to translate this ambition into partnerships that bolster the Global South’s presence and offer its peoples greater hope for progress and stability.
India’s presidency priorities — centered on resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability — align with the imperative of placing people at the heart of international action. These priorities imbue the summit with a practical dimension that directly impacts people’s lives, spanning areas from food and energy security to technology and employment opportunities. Herein lies the value of BRICS as a platform where diverse economic capabilities and development experiences converge; through synergy, they can broaden the base of prosperity and launch initiatives that transcend national borders to serve shared interests.
At the core of this outlook, President Xi’s vision merits high regard; it positions the relationship between China’s rise and its partners’ progress as a fundamental element in shaping the future. Its appeal lies in the way it links development with peace, and openness with respect for national specificities. In my view, the concept of a "community with a shared future for mankind" offers an inspiring framework for understanding global interdependence. Within this framework, the progress of others becomes a source of enhanced stability and expanded opportunities, while international responsibility evolves into a shared endeavor to build the conditions for a better life.
The strength of this vision becomes particularly evident when viewed through the lens of developing nations’ needs. These countries aspire to have productive factories, innovative universities, transport networks that link markets, and healthcare institutions utilizing modern technologies. Expanding cooperation with China in these areas would empower BRICS to transform aspirations into tangible results. This highlights the strategic value of a leadership style that links a nation’s stature to its ability to empower partners and broaden their productive and intellectual horizons.
The New Development Bank serves as a significant institutional example of the potential for collective cooperation. Established by the five founding BRICS nations, it focuses on financing infrastructure and sustainable development. The bank enables resources to be directed toward genuine national priorities, thereby enhancing countries’ capacity to execute their projects. From this perspective, support for development finance is crucial in transforming solidarity among Global South nations into productive economic energy.
The New Delhi Summit opens up promising avenues for deeper industrial partnerships that combine natural resources with technical expertise and vast markets. Cooperation in sectors such as solar energy, batteries, advanced manufacturing, and the digital economy could lay the groundwork for a phase where production opportunities are distributed across multiple nations. China’s role becomes increasingly valuable when investment is coupled with workforce training, the establishment of research centers, and the localization of knowledge — all of which help partners acquire the tools for progress and participate actively in the global economy. In the financial realm, expanding settlement options in national currencies offers promising potential for trade and investment, provided these are grounded in reliable arrangements and mutual agreement among the parties involved. A diverse array of financial instruments affords economies greater flexibility and opens up broader avenues for commercial interaction. I believe the most significant achievement upon which BRICS can build is the enhancement of economic freedom and the development of cooperation that respects the interests of all members, establishing trust and mutual benefit as the foundation for enduring relationships.
Furthermore, President Xi’s participation in a summit hosted by India sends a positive signal regarding the importance of engagement between major powers. China-India dialogue holds immense potential for bolstering stability in Asia and fostering cooperation within BRICS. Every step toward building trust between Beijing and New Delhi paves the way for broader shared interests, demonstrating that political wisdom can manage differences while safeguarding development opportunities — a spirit that international relations sorely needs today.
From an Arab perspective, BRICS opens up vast horizons for partnerships that link geography, resources, and investments with technology, production, and education. Arab nations can leverage this openness to build their industrial and research capabilities while strengthening food security and clean energy sectors. In this context, the Chinese President’s vision serves as an inspiring blueprint for a long-term partnership rooted in mutual respect and collaborative action. The New Delhi summit presents a valuable opportunity to advance this trajectory and reinforce the conviction that structured cooperation can expand prosperity, and that the future of nations deserves leadership characterized by ambition, wisdom, and confidence in humanity’s capacity to build.
The author is Dr. Hassan Al-Dajah, Professor of Strategic Studies, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
