The Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the heads of the states of the BRICS group was held from 6 to the 7th July 2025 in Reo De Janeiro, Brazil under the theme, “strengthening global south cooperation and promoting inclusive global governance.” While hosting the summit, the Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva positioned the BRICS as the heir to the non-aligned movement and as a force for the promotion for peace. The joint declaration expressed alarm over the critically increasing global military spending to the detriment of the provision of adequate aid for development to developing countries.[1] The group, only seventeen years old, is often compared to the G7, which was established almost fifty years ago. Since the date of its inception, the group has been perceived as antagonist to the Western-led international system.
Speculation over President Xi Jinping’s absence from this year’s summit has raised questions about BRICS’ coherence and future. A pragmatic view holds that his decision to send Premier Li Qiang does not signal diminished importance. Xi had visited Brazil in November 2024 for the G20 and a state visit, BRICS remains central to China’s strategy to counter potential U.S.-led containment, and Li is fully capable of representing Beijing. These factors suggest his absence is not a snub.[2] Pakistan, cognizant of the group’s strategic, political, diplomatic, and economic significance, submitted its application for formal membership in August 2023. India, as a founding member of the coalition, has consistently opposed and obstructed Pakistan’s accession efforts.
