The Chinese president, Xi Jinpingand the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Moditook advantage of the BRICS summit yesterday in Russia to project their ambitions for a more harmonious relationship between the two most populous countries in the world after years of hostilities. The meeting between Xi and Modi, who had not held formal talks in five years, was one of the highlights of a summit that the president Vladimir Putin sought to use to demonstrate that the West had failed to isolate Russia due to the war in Ukraine.
The final statement listed a number of projects aimed at facilitating trade between the BRICS countries, including an alternative payment system to the dollar, but did not include details or timelines.
Just two days after New Delhi announced it had reached a deal with Beijing to resolve a four-year military standoff on their disputed Himalayan border, Xi told Modi they should improve communication and cooperation, and effectively manage differences. : “It is in the fundamental interest of both countries and their people that China and India correctly understand the trend of history and the direction of development of their relations.”
In response, Modi told Xi that Maintaining peace and stability on its border should be a priorityand that mutual trust, respect and sensitivity should be the basis of the relationship: “We welcome agreement on the issues that have arisen over the past four years.”
The BRICS group, a nomenclature conceived within Goldman Sachs two decades ago to describe the growing economic weight of China and other large emerging markets, now represents 45% of the world’s population and 35% of the global economy. And this summit coincided with the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington.
The former Goldman economist Jim O’Neillwho coined the term in 2001, told Reuters he had little optimism about the BRICS club as long as China and India remained so divided: “It seems to me basically a symbolic annual meeting where important emerging countries, especially noisy ones like Russia, but also China, can come together and highlight how good it is to be part of something that doesn’t involve the US and that global governance is not good enough.”
It looks like Xi Jinping made Putin wait before their meeting.
This is happening in Russia. Putin waits. https://t.co/AmiCN9IGCw pic.twitter.com/tjtG38YKCS
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) October 22, 2024
Peace for Ukraine
Putin, who dismisses Western claims that he is a war criminal over Russia’s actions in Ukraine, hosted more than 20 leaders at the summit in the Volga city of Kazan, including Tayyip Erdoganleader of NATO member Türkiye, and Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Modi publicly told Putin that he wanted peace in Ukraine. Xi discussed the war in Ukraine behind closed doors with the head of the Kremlin, as did the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyanwho has tried to mediate.
The summit’s 43-page final communiqué ranged from geopolitics and narcotics to artificial intelligence and even big cat preservation, but lacked details on some important issues. He mentioned Ukraine only once. And from kyiv they have been celebrated with a certain aroma of triumph. “Moscow’s attempts to impose the idea of a supposed alternative position of the so-called Global South on Russian aggression against Ukraine has failed again,” they stated from kyiv in an official note, adding that “the declaration demonstrates that the BRICS as an association “they don’t have a single position” on the war.
“We appreciate the relevant mediation proposals aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy“, says the Kazan statement. The harshest language is reserved for the Middle East. The BRICS call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and condemn “Israeli attacks against humanitarian operations, facilities, personnel and distribution points “.
Sobre sistemas de pago alternativos, hubo pocos detalles, aunque los líderes de BRICS expresaron interés en desarrollarlos y ordenaron a los banqueros centrales que presentaran informes bajo la próxima presidencia. “La tendencia hacia el papel de liderazgo de BRICS en la economía global solo se fortalecerá”, dijo Putin, citando el crecimiento de la población, la urbanización, la acumulación de capital y el crecimiento de la productividad como factores clave.
China e India compran alrededor del 90% del petróleo de Rusia, su mayor fuente de divisas. Rusia es el segundo mayor exportador de petróleo del mundo. Los líderes dijeron que buscarían seguir desarrollando el crecimiento institucional de BRICS, pero no fueron claros sobre si BRICS se expandiría o no. Putin dijo que más de 30 estados habían expresado interés en unirse al grupo, pero que era importante encontrar un equilibrio en cualquier expansión.
“Tomaré en serio al grupo BRICS cuando vea señales de que los dos países que realmente importan, China e India, realmente intentan ponerse de acuerdo en cosas, en lugar de intentar enfrentarse entre sí todo el tiempo”, dijo O’Neill.
Add Comment