Xi at BRICS: Strong Wind Tests Grass, Fierce Fire Reveals Gold
Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses Central Conference of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing
Framing BRICS as the vanguard of a fairer world order, China’s leader urged unity on multilateralism, trade openness, and development cooperation to counter Western-led protectionism.
By TRH Global Affairs Desk
NEW DELHI, September 8, 2025 — When Xi Jinping took the virtual stage at the BRICS summit, his message was less about rhetoric and more about geopolitics: the Global South must stand together against what he called the “rampant hegemonism, unilateralism, and protectionism” undermining the world order.
In a sweeping address, the Chinese President painted the moment as a historical inflection point—“transformation unseen in a century”—where the traditional dominance of the West, particularly the United States, faces a coordinated challenge from rising economies.
Xi made three central proposals: uphold multilateralism to ensure fairness in global governance, champion openness and win-win cooperation to stabilize trade, and strengthen solidarity within BRICS to withstand external shocks. “No matter how the international landscape may evolve, we must stay committed to building an open global economy,” he said, in a clear rebuke to Washington’s tariff wars and protectionist impulses.
By invoking initiatives like his Global Governance Initiative and Belt and Road, Xi showed China’s ambition to cement itself as the principal architect of alternative institutions and norms. BRICS, which represents nearly half the world’s population and 30 percent of global GDP, was cast as the platform that could rebalance global power.
The symbolism was clear: if the West continues to weaponize sanctions and trade barriers, Beijing intends to rally BRICS around a different vision—one that frames economic globalization as inclusive rather than exploitative, and one that grants greater voice to the Global South in decision-making forums.
Critics, however, view Xi’s rhetoric as selective. While he champions “multilateralism,” China has simultaneously tightened restrictions on Western tech companies and enforced rigid state-centric economic controls. Yet, for BRICS members grappling with Western financial dominance and debt vulnerabilities, the promise of “shared benefits” and “practical cooperation” remains enticing.
Xi closed with a flourish of metaphor: “Strong wind tests the resilience of grass, and fierce fire reveals true gold.” His warning and reassurance were rolled into one—Western pressure may intensify, but if BRICS nations “look out for each other,” the “giant ship” of the bloc will endure.
For Xi, the summit was less about lofty ideals and more about laying ideological ground for a China-shaped global order. The question for BRICS partners—India, Brazil, Russia, and South Africa—is whether they see this as a genuine partnership of equals or as a stage for Beijing’s geopolitical ascendance.
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