The expanded BRICS summit took place in Kazan, Russia, from the 22nd to the 24th of this month. In addition to representatives from Russia, China, India, Brazil, and other South American member states, the gathering brought together heads of state and senior officials from 36 countries and international organizations. The most prominent figure was Putin, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court. He called the meeting the grandest international event Moscow has ever staged.
It should be noted that the BRICS countries account for 45% of the world's population and 35% of GDP, and have long surpassed the richest Western Group of Seven (G7). Putin and Xi Jinping keep saying that they represent the Global South and are ready to replace the Western trusts led by the United States that have dominated the world economy for 80 years.
Xi Jinping, the "permanent core" of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), plagued by rumors of a power loss, was of course in attendance, but he did not embrace Putin. Neither he nor Putin reiterated the cheesy promises of "unlimited" cooperation between Russia and China. Ironically, China has once again found itself tied to Russia's chariot for the first time since the Korean War. Furthermore, despite repeated White House warnings against excessive support for Russian military equipment, PLA defense companies are not only supplying high-tech raw materials to the Russian military through transshippers, including Hong Kong-registered companies, but are also allowing Putin's forces to open factories in China to produce high-end unmanned attack drones.
