China wanted BRICS to become Xi’s anti-American coalition: reject the dollar, embrace RMB settlement, and announce that the “Eastern era” had arrived.

Instead, India refused to play along. Modi publicly distanced BRICS from any anti-Western agenda. Indian officials denied supporting a common BRICS currency. The summit declaration emphasized diversified critical-mineral supply chains-a thinly veiled warning against China weaponizing rare earths.

Then came the optics. Xi’s translator was filmed as he was being blocked from following Xi onto the red carpet. Modi interrupted proceedings to ask whether everything was “OK,” directing global attention toward Xi’s physical condition. Xi then skipped the official dinner and rushed home, while Modi and Putin held a warm 45-minute meeting and dominated the cameras.

Xi imagined himself standing at the center of a new world order. Instead, he discovered that even among BRICS members, they only want Chinese trade, not Chinese leadership.

India will buy Russian oil, trade in multiple currencies, cooperate with America, investigate Xiaomi, ban TikTok, impose tariffs on Chinese products, and confront China at the border. That is strategic autonomy the rest of the world could learn from.

The summit exposed the central weakness of Xi Jinping’s foreign policy: he can pressure smaller countries, but he cannot command major powers.
He arrived expecting to lead the rebellion against America. He left early after discovering the rebellion was against him.

https://x.com/KenCao_onChina/status/2099874231626699135