“Values are not central to today’s world,” or so proclaimed the author of an article published in the Global Times covering the recent BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in New Delhi. The article is an unapologetic and only marginally ungrammatical pre-emptive strike against Western ne’er-do-wells seeking to undermine the union by pointing out “a lack of unified values among BRICS countries.” The article argues that universal values held in common between countries aren’t that important here, rather it is what they can give each other that counts. The message is that potential mutual benefits outweigh a lack of shared values. Though it rarely strays from its uniformly histrionic tone – neatly slotting each BRICS country into the distinctly Chinese narrative of “facing oppression by developed countries in the current global political system” – the article nevertheless highlights an incredibly interesting trend arising in modern Chinese politics:…