During the BRICS 2026 Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping underscored the importance of increased collaboration among Global South nations, putting forward five initiatives to enhance cooperation among emerging economies. These initiatives focus on artificial intelligence, trade and investment, the digital economy, intelligent manufacturing, and the development of science and technology talent. Xi emphasized that global regulations should be shaped inclusively, advocating for adherence to international law, sovereign equality, non-interference, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. He criticized the “might makes right” mentality, pushing for rules to be consistently applied without double standards.
Among the proposed initiatives, China aims to establish a BRICS AI open-source community to foster collaboration on large language models and support the creation of a comprehensive AI ecosystem. The trade and investment initiative suggests facilitating partnerships for BRICS special economic zones and launching a BRICS Forum on Trade in Services. These efforts are designed to streamline trade and investment among member countries and boost economic cooperation.
The digital economy initiative includes developing a BRICS digital ecosystem cloud platform, along with providing digital skills training and promoting technology exchange. This is intended to enhance digital collaboration and equip member countries with the necessary tools and knowledge to thrive in the digital age. Additionally, the intelligent manufacturing initiative seeks to modernize production processes by supporting the development of smart factories and establishing common standards across BRICS nations.
Focusing on cultivating science and technology talent, China has proposed a BRICS engineer cultivation alliance and youth exchange programs. These efforts aim to foster innovation and create a pool of skilled professionals capable of driving technological advancements within the BRICS countries. By investing in talent development, the initiative seeks to ensure a sustainable and forward-looking approach to technological growth.