Indian PM Modi Meets Wang Yi and Other BRICS Senior Security Representatives

Summary

On 23 June 2026, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, who was attending the BRICS meeting of senior security representatives in New Delhi. Modi asked Wang Yi to convey his warm regards to President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, stating that both India and China are ancient civilisations with thousands of years of friendly exchanges. He emphasised the need to carry forward traditional friendship, maintain high-level exchanges, promote pragmatic cooperation, and safeguard the common interests of Global South countries.

Modi expressed support for China's upcoming BRICS presidency next year and willingness to jointly advance the BRICS cause. Wang Yi conveyed Chinese leaders' good wishes to Modi, stressing that China and India, as the largest developing countries and important members of the Global South, should set an example in promoting the unity and self-reliance of the Global South. He expressed readiness to work with India to implement the consensus of the two countries' leaders, enhance mutual trust, properly handle sensitive issues, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and maintain the positive momentum of China-India relations.

During his visit, Wang Yi also met with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Commentary

For New Zealand small and medium enterprise (SME) owners, this high-level interaction between China and India signals a warming of Global South cooperation, though direct business impact is limited. From a supply chain perspective, easing tensions between China and India may reduce geopolitical risks in the Asia-Pacific, contributing to regional trade stability. In particular, if the BRICS framework promotes trade facilitation, New Zealand exports to India or China could indirectly benefit – for instance, through lower transport costs or tariff barriers for commodities such as dairy and meat products.

However, New Zealand exports to India are primarily agricultural goods, and India maintains strict protection of imported agricultural products, so substantive breakthroughs are unlikely in the short term. Another angle is that BRICS expansion and increased internal coordination may accelerate the multipolarisation of global trade patterns. New Zealand could leverage deeper cooperation with China, for example through the upgraded China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement or the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), to connect with BRICS markets.

Businesses are advised to monitor India's consumer market opening moves and BRICS New Development Bank investment in infrastructure projects to assess logistics and channel opportunities. Caution is warranted: diplomatic goodwill does not necessarily translate into policy implementation, and concrete outcomes will depend on subsequent negotiation results.

Keywords: Indian PM Modi, Wang Yi, BRICS Senior Security Representatives, China-India relations, Global South, New Delhi, BRICS presidency, friendly exchanges, Doval

Source: Embassy of the People's Republic of China in New Zealand