China's Xi urges BRICS to take on peacemaking role in Middle East war

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the BRICS bloc to be a ⁠peacemaker in the ⁠Middle East conflict, in an address to a summit of member countries in New Delhi on ⁠Saturday.

China will work with other BRICS members in that role, as the war "does not serve the common interests of the international community", state-run CCTV quoted Xi as saying.

BRICS groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Egypt, ⁠Ethiopia, ⁠Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

It was set up in 2009 to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies. Together, its members account for ⁠more than 40% of the world's population and almost a quarter of the global economy.

The Chinese leader called the bloc a "leading group" in the Global South and a model ⁠of ‌self-reliance ‌among emerging and developing countries ⁠that should promote ‌innovation-driven development.

He said China would assume the BRICS chairmanship next ⁠year, and host the ⁠19th BRICS summit, according to ⁠CCTV.