Chinese President Xi Jinping called on BRICS countries to play a peacemaking role in the Middle East on Saturday, casting China and the bloc as potential diplomatic counterweights to the United States and its allies amid the ongoing conflict.
Speaking at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, India, Xi said China would work with other members to promote peace, arguing that the war “does not serve the common interests of the international community,” according to China’s state-run CCTV.
The appeal comes as BRICS attempts to present itself as a leading voice for the Global South while navigating deep divisions among its members. The bloc was formally established in 2009 as an alternative to the U.S. and broader Western alliances. It has expanded in recent years to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. Its members collectively account for more than 40% of the world’s population.
The inclusion of both Iran and the UAE has put those divisions on display. Iran has launched attacks against the UAE during the current conflict, including hundreds of missile strikes in early March that damaged infrastructure in Dubai and other Gulf states after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The UAE is also closely aligned with Washington economically and strategically. The U.S. Commerce Department describes it as the top U.S. export market in the Middle East and Africa region and a major hub for more than 1,500 American companies.
Despite those tensions, BRICS members adopted a joint statement Saturday dubbed the New Delhi Declaration, calling for “maximum restraint” amid the escalating conflict.
“We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in Middle East/West Asia,” the declaration said, adding that countries should”call for exercising maximum restraint, as well as avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation.”
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The declaration also reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to resolving international disputes through “dialogue, consultation, and diplomacy” and voiced concern over unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures that it said distort global trade. The comments come as the U.S. maintains sanctions on Iran and Russia.
Xi described BRICS as a “leading group” in the Global South and a model of self-reliance for emerging and developing countries, calling on members to promote innovation-driven development.