Chinese and Indian leaders hold bilateral talks with Putin on sidelines of New Delhi summit; Xi proposes AI cooperation, warns against 'double standards'

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (front row, from left), Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin stand together at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, on Saturday. [AFP]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (front row, from left), Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin stand together at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, on Saturday. [AFP]

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi each met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in India, offering to play a mediating role in resolving the Ukraine conflict.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters Sunday (local time), according to Russia's TASS news agency, that Xi and Modi had raised specific questions about resolving the Ukraine situation during their bilateral talks with Putin.

Peskov added that the two leaders "actively proposed a mediating role to help find a solution," and that Putin welcomed their willingness to cooperate and briefed them in detail on the current situation.

Putin met with Modi on Friday, the day before the summit opened, and also held informal talks with Xi.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said he would travel to Miami to meet Putin if the Russian leader attends the G20 summit scheduled there in December. Russia, however, has said it prefers a meeting in Moscow.

On Saturday, BRICS leaders unanimously adopted a joint statement.

In the statement, the leaders said they expressed "deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East" and called on all parties to "exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions that could further worsen the situation."

The statement also opposed "unilateral sanctions that violate international law," a reference to US sanctions imposed on Iran and those levied against Russia over the Ukraine conflict.

Meanwhile, Xi proposed AI and digital cooperation among BRICS nations, saying China would take an active role in building a related ecosystem.

According to China's state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi made the remarks in a speech at the second plenary session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. He said that to "play a bigger role and achieve greater development, Greater BRICS must strengthen the foundation of practical cooperation."

Xi said BRICS should "leverage its strengths as a platform rooted in emerging markets and connecting the Global South" and uphold openness, cooperation, mutual benefit and shared growth, while working to develop a large integrated market with unified industrial and supply chains.

He also called for building innovation incubators, upgrading traditional industries, developing emerging industries and planning for future industries. He put forward five areas in which China is prepared to cooperate: AI, trade and investment, the digital industry, smart manufacturing, and the cultivation of science and technology talent.

Xi further urged Global South nations to jointly uphold the basic principles of international relations — including sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs and the peaceful settlement of disputes — and said "double standards" must not be applied.


cheon@heraldcorp.com