At the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping, while exchanging words, merely committed to expedite disengagement along their disputed border. This casts doubt on Xi Jinping’s G20 summit attendance in Delhi on Sept 7. Meanwhile, BRICS welcomes six new members, including energy giants Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iran. India’s call for sanctions-exempt admissions faced resistance. With six of the world’s top oil producers in BRICS, the US may feel uneasy. Modi’s space consortium proposal within BRICS, backed by China, adds a complex layer to India’s space diplomacy, balancing between the Artemis Accords and BRICS’ anti-US stance.
