China’s Support for India’s BRICS Presidency – A Five‑Letter POWER Framework
On 12‑13 September 2026 New Delhi will host the 18th BRICS summit. China has pledged full support to India’s rotating presidency and outlined a five‑letter acronym – POWER – to guide deeper cooperation among the members and their partners.
Key Developments (Bullet Summary)
- Principle (P): Emphasise UN Charter values, sovereign equality and non‑interference to counter rising hegemonism.
- Openness (O): Defend the multilateral trading system led by the WTO, resist protectionism and deepen supply‑chain cooperation.
- Win‑Win (W): Prioritise development, accelerate the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and ensure the Global South participates as equals.
- Engine (E): Leverage the demographic and economic weight of Global South to drive world growth, especially through AI, digital economy and smart manufacturing.
- Responsibility (R): Share the burden of maintaining world peace, with India and China alternating the BRICS presidency.
Important Facts
The five members together represent nearly half of the world’s population, about 30 % of global GDP and 20 % of world trade. International forecasts suggest that the combined growth of the expanded BRICS bloc could be almost three times faster than that of the G‑7 by 2028. China has already set up the China‑BRICS AI Development and Cooperation Center and a research centre on new productive forces.
Exam Relevance
Understanding the BRICS agenda is vital for GS 3 (Economy) and GS 1 (International Relations). The emphasis on multilateralism, trade rules, and the role of the Global South links directly to questions on global governance, economic cooperation and India’s foreign‑policy priorities. The focus on AI and digital economies also ties to emerging technology topics in GS 3.
Way Forward
India and China must maintain close coordination to translate the POWER principles into concrete actions. This includes:
- Strengthening macro‑economic policy coordination among BRICS members.
- Expanding local‑currency trade and cross‑border payment mechanisms to reduce reliance on external currencies.
- Deepening cooperation in renewable energy, food security and resilient agriculture.
- Promoting joint research in AI, health and education to create new growth engines.
Successful implementation will enhance India’s strategic standing, boost the collective bargaining power of emerging economies, and contribute to a more balanced global order.