Updated

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in New Delhi as U.S. tariffs, sanctions and the Iran conflict push other major powers to hedge against Washington's 'America-first' posture, testing whether BRICS members can coordinate an independent economic and diplomatic bloc. Xi used the summit to position China as a counterweight to U.S. influence among developing economies. During the gathering, Xi said China would take the lead in fostering artificial-intelligence cooperation and technology development among BRICS and other developing nations, seeking to expand Beijing's influence over AI governance outside Western frameworks. He also urged BRICS countries to work toward peace in the Middle East, noting China's role as Iran's largest trading partner and a major buyer of its energy exports, as Tehran continued to reaffirm defiance toward Washington.