The world’s emerging powers are rallying together in Beijing this week, as BRICS leaders coordinate strategies to counter escalating trade measures imposed by Washington.
The gathering, held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, comes as US President Donald Trump intensifies tariffs on India and Brazil, further straining relations with the Global South.
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other leaders to what is shaping up as a pivotal moment in the evolution of BRICS from an informal economic forum into a structured geopolitical alliance. Xi underscored Beijing’s ambition for a multipolar world, declaring that the bloc must “strengthen multilateral cooperation to safeguard common interests” and push back against unilateralism.
For India, the meeting carries particular weight. Relations between New Delhi and Beijing have long been strained by border clashes and strategic rivalry, yet growing US tariffs have prompted a recalibration. Prime Minister Modi emphasized progress in a carefully worded statement:
“Had a fruitful meeting with President Xi Jinping in Tianjin. We agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas and reaffirmed our commitment to cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual interest, and mutual sensitivity.”
Despite tensions, both leaders signaled readiness to expand trade ties and even resume direct flights between their countries, highlighting pragmatism amid global uncertainty. Putin, meanwhile, has positioned himself as a mediator, leveraging Russia’s deepening ties with both China and India to solidify BRICS unity.
Brazil is also taking an assertive stance. Angered by Washington’s decision to raise tariffs on Brazilian goods to 50%, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has announced an extraordinary BRICS summit to forge a coordinated response. His senior adviser, Celso Amorim, confirmed that Brasília views Trump’s measures as a direct threat to cooperation and trade resilience within the bloc.
Analysts note that the SCO and BRICS gatherings are increasingly overlapping in purpose, with China seeking to merge multiple emerging-market platforms into a counterweight to Western influence. Together, these countries represent over two billion people, nearly a third of global GDP, and more than half of global GDP growth in purchasing power terms.
As Trump’s aggressive trade agenda pushes India, Brazil, and other states closer to Beijing and Moscow, BRICS is no longer just an economic concept. It is rapidly becoming a political coalition with the potential to redefine the rules of global governance.
