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

BEIJING, Sept 12 (Reuters) - 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, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, was set up in 2009to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies.

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.

In a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit, Xi said China views ties with India from a "strategic, long-term perspective," state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

China and India can learn from each other's strengths and achieve shared development, Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.

Xi's visit to New Delhi, his first to India in seven years, should further the diplomatic thaw between the giant neighbours, but there are few signs as yet that their business ties will improve, analysts said.

China and India fought a brief war in 1962, setting the backdrop for a wary relationship since then, which soured after a 2020 border skirmish killed 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. Still, ties have improved in recent years, especially since Modi visited China last year and as both nations grapple with volatile relationships with the U.S.

(Reporting by Liam Mo and Liz Lee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Andrew Heavens, Peter Graff)