Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Modi Warns Against Weaponising Critical Minerals at BRICS
At a BRICS meeting, Narendra Modi warned that countries should not use important minerals and technology as weapons.
These minerals are needed for computers, electric batteries, clean energy and defence equipment.
China is a major supplier of many of these materials and has tightened export controls.
BRICS countries agreed that mineral supply chains should be reliable, fair and diverse.
They also said resource-rich countries should keep control over their own minerals.
Xi Jinping promoted China’s Belt and Road Initiative and offered cooperation on artificial intelligence and digital technology.
Modi discussed plans to prepare for diseases, disasters and supply-chain problems.
Both leaders called for countries to work together during global tensions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned that weaponising technology and critical minerals could hinder shared global progress.
His remarks came as China maintains a dominant role in rare-earth and critical-mineral extraction, refining and processing.
The New Delhi Declaration called for reliable, diversified and fair critical-mineral supply chains while respecting countries’ resource sovereignty.
Chinese President Xi Jinping promoted Belt and Road cooperation, AI collaboration and digital-economy initiatives among BRICS countries.
Modi and Xi both called for stronger resilience, international financial reform and cooperation among Global South nations.
- Who
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other BRICS countries.
- What
- BRICS leaders discussed critical minerals, resilient supply chains, technology, global governance and cooperation.
- When
- Modi spoke on Sunday; the New Delhi Declaration was adopted on Saturday.
- Where
- At the BRICS summit.
- Why
- To improve resilience and cooperation amid conflicts, pandemics, climate disasters and supply-chain disruptions, while addressing concerns about technology and mineral dependence.
Concerns About Strategic Dependence
China’s Cooperation Agenda
Critical minerals and technology
Concerns About Strategic Dependence
India warned that weaponising critical minerals and technology could obstruct shared progress and stressed inclusive technology adoption.
China’s Cooperation Agenda
China was not named directly, but it has tightened export controls on materials in which it has a dominant market position.
Belt and Road Initiative
Concerns About Strategic Dependence
India opposes the Belt and Road Initiative because the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
China’s Cooperation Agenda
China promoted high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as a way to share opportunities and support joint prosperity.
Global leadership and governance
Concerns About Strategic Dependence
Modi called for resilience, international financial reform and cooperation that protects ordinary people from global crises.
China’s Cooperation Agenda
Xi urged BRICS to act as a stabilising force, support a consensus-based global AI framework and strengthen Global South cooperation.
- Main warning
- Modi said the weaponisation of technology and critical minerals could hinder shared progress.
- China’s role
- China dominates extraction, refining and processing of rare earths and critical minerals, and has expanded export controls since 2023.
- BRICS declaration
- The New Delhi Declaration called for reliable, responsible, diversified, resilient, fair and sustainable critical-mineral supply chains.
- Supply-chain initiatives
- BRICS agreed on a logistics supply-chain cooperation framework and early-warning measures for infectious diseases and disasters.
- China’s proposals
- Xi proposed cooperation on artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, smart factories, engineering and special economic zones.
- Belt and Road
- Xi called for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, an initiative India opposes because the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
- BRICS chairship
- Modi handed the grouping’s chairship to China.