Xi Jinping's Delhi visit could be the big brick in the BRICS summit

Key Points:

• Xi Jinping's anticipated visit to India for the BRICS summit marks his first trip in seven years and could signal a thaw in India-China relations, potentially enabling more concrete economic cooperation within the bloc.
• The large Chinese delegation suggests extensive discussions beyond the BRICS agenda, including trade, technology, investment, and financial cooperation, reflecting a strategic effort to stabilize bilateral ties despite ongoing border disputes and competition.
• Key initiatives at the summit include proposals for linking BRICS countries' payment systems to facilitate cross-border transactions and Russia's plan for a BRICS grain exchange to improve agricultural trade and food security among member nations.
• Improved India-China cooperation could help overcome one of BRICS' main internal obstacles, increasing the bloc's ability to move beyond political declarations toward practical economic actions, although deep-seated strategic and geopolitical differences will persist.
• The success of the Delhi summit will be measured by the potential for sustained India-China collaboration, which could enhance BRICS' effectiveness and institutional development, rather than by the summit's official statements or declarations.