The 18th BRICS Summit is set to begin in New Delhi on Saturday, with world’s top leaders, including Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, attending the diplomatic gathering amidst wars in Ukraine and West Asia. International media coverage ahead of the summit has focused on the bloc’s growing size and influence, its internal differences and India’s role in bringing together countries with competing interests.
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The BRICS grouping includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Global Times: China Stresses BRICS’ Role In A Changing World Order
China’s Global Times has highlighted Beijing’s emphasis on strengthening
BRICS cooperation and giving the grouping a greater role in global affairs. Its coverage presents BRICS as an important platform for emerging economies and the Global South amid what it describes as a shift towards a more multipolar international system. Ahead of the Delhi summit, Chinese officials have also stressed support for India’s presidency and called for greater cooperation among BRICS members and partners. The Chinese newspaper’s framing puts the focus on expanding cooperation, strengthening the bloc and giving developing countries a greater voice in global governance.
“A ‘Greater BRICS’ that is more united, efficient, pragmatic and committed to shouldering its responsibilities will surely open up new space for the common development of the Global South and inject greater certainty and positive energy into a world beset by turbulence and change. Twenty years is a milestone, but it is also a new starting point,” the newspaper wrote in an Op-ed piece.
South China Morning Post: Internal Divisions Could Slow BRICS Progress
The South China Morning Post has focused on the internal divisions within BRICS as the expanded grouping looks to build consensus at the Delhi summit. Its coverage points to differences among members over geopolitical issues and the direction of the bloc, raising questions about how effectively it can turn its growing economic and political weight into concrete cooperation.
The report also looks back at BRICS’ two-decade evolution and its expansion beyond the original five members. With the grouping now representing a larger share of the global population and economy, the challenge, the report highlights, is maintaining cohesion among countries with differing interests.
Reuters: Iran war And BRICS Unity
Reuters has placed the Iran conflict and its impact on BRICS unity at the centre of its coverage. It has highlighted the challenge facing India as it seeks to bridge differences between Iran and the UAE, particularly as the two countries find themselves on opposing sides of the conflict. Reuters also points to the importance of a joint declaration, which requires consensus among members.
The news agency has also highlighted the expected participation of Xi and Putin, along with PM Modi’s bilateral engagements with both leaders. Reuters says the summit will test whether the expanded grouping can find common ground on major geopolitical issues.
Reuters, quoting a source, said in a report published on September 10 that India is pushing to link central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) across the bloc for cross-border payments.
Washington Post: Wars And Rivalries Test The Bloc
The Washington Post has framed the summit around the question of whether BRICS can act cohesively as its membership expands. Its coverage highlights the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with US-China tensions, as factors testing the group’s ability to reach common positions.
The report also focuses on India’s balancing act between China and Russia and its growing partnerships with the United States and other Western countries. Xi’s visit to New Delhi, his first in seven years, is another key focus.
Al Jazeera: Can BRICS Challenge The West?
Al Jazeera has taken a broader look at BRICS’ stated ambition to reshape the international system. It has questioned whether the expanded grouping can genuinely challenge a Western-dominated world.
Deutsche Welle: India’s Balancing Act
Deutsche Welle has focused on India’s BRICS strategy and the significance of Putin and Xi attending the Delhi summit. Its reporting places the meeting in the context of India’s relationships with Russia and China, as well as its wider foreign-policy interests.
New York Times And BBC: Focus On The Summit And India
The New York Times and BBC are also following the Delhi summit as a major diplomatic gathering, with attention on the participation of key leaders and the wider geopolitical backdrop.
“China’s primary concern with India has always been India’s alignment with the United States,” said Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington, as quoted by NYT. “So Beijing certainly would not let the opportunity slide to regain some traction with Delhi.”
BBC echoed similiar sentiments. “India cannot afford to have a joint statement that rails against Washington,” Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told the BBC. He expects any criticism of US policies to be “vague and indirect”, reflecting the sharply divergent interests within the expanded group.
The summit will bring together leaders including Modi, Putin, Xi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The agenda includes global governance, multilateralism, trade, investment, technology, energy and food security, alongside major international conflicts.
