Targeting Western sanctions against Moscow for invading Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the world "must abandon Cold War mentality" and "bloc confrontation."
What Happened: During the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the audience, Xi criticized global sanctions without any direct references.
"We must abandon Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, and oppose unilateral sanctions and the abuse of sanctions. And it's important for the world to recognize that forging a community with a shared future, like a big family, is so much better than building exclusive circles," Xi said.
The Chinese president's references to the Cold War and blocs were aimed at targetting NATO and the Quad, of which India is a part.
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"It has been proved time and again that sanctions are a boomerang and a double-edged sword. To politicize the global economy and turn it into one's tool or weapon ... will only end up hurting one's own interests as well as those of others," he added.
Putin had also raised the issue of "politically motivated sanctions" during his speech.
However, Modi maintained India's neutral stand on the Russia-Ukraine war and steered clear of any specific references. He spoke about the "governance of the global economy" in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Even though the scale of the epidemic has reduced globally…many of its ill effects are still visible in the global economy…And so our mutual cooperation can make a useful contribution," Modi said.
A joint statement from the BRICS leaders later said they "support talks between Russia and Ukraine."
China is chairing the BRICS summit this year. The event also had Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in attendance.
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