Global Times: Xi calls on BRICS to stay open, inclusive to welcome like-minded partners to big family

BEIJING, June 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — In a virtual speech delivered at the 14th BRICS Summit in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday lauded the BRICS mechanism as having shown resilience and vitality in the current global crisis, and called on the mechanism to stay open and inclusive to welcome like-minded partners to join the big BRICS family.

Xi noted that over the past year, the world has faced the continued spread of COVID-19, a tortuous world economic recovery and increasingly salient peace and security issues. Facing these formidable and complex circumstances, BRICS countries have embraced the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, enhanced solidarity and coordination and jointly tackled the challenges. The BRICS mechanism has demonstrated resilience and vitality. BRICS cooperation has achieved sound progress and results.

Xi stressed that this Summit is being held at a critical juncture in the shaping of the future course of humanity. BRICS countries, as important emerging markets and major developing countries, need to act with a sense of responsibility to bring positive, stabilizing and constructive strength to the world.

Xi pointed out that our world today is living through accelerating changes unseen in a century and continued spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. They confront humanity with unprecedented challenges.

Over the past 16 years, the giant ship of BRICS has sailed forward tenaciously against raging torrents and storms. Riding the wind and cleaving the waves, it has embarked on a righteous course of mutual support and win-win cooperation. Standing at the crossroads of history, we should both look back at the journey we have traveled and keep in mind why we established BRICS in the first place, and look forward to a shared future of a more comprehensive, close, practical and inclusive high-quality partnership so as to jointly embark on a new journey of BRICS cooperation, Xi said.

The leaders attending the summit thanked China for hosting this event and the efforts it made for promoting BRICS cooperation. They believed that facing international uncertainties, BRICS countries should strengthen solidarity, carry forward the BRICS spirit, consolidate strategic partnership and jointly respond to various challenges so that BRICS cooperation can reach a new level and play a bigger role in international affairs, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Chinese analysts said that BRICS is not just an organization formed by newly emerging economies, but is now playing a key role in the international order. Currently, BRICS countries represent 40 percent of the world population, account for 25 percent of the global economy and 18 percent of world trade, and contribute 50 percent to the world’s economic growth.

Trade connectivity among BRICS countries is becoming closer and tighter, especially under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Chinese government data, in the first five months of 2022, China’s total imports and exports with other BRICS countries increased 12.1 percent year-on-year, with a 20 percent increase with Russia and 10 percent increase with India.

Under the theme of “Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development”, leaders of the five countries held in-depth exchange of views on BRICS cooperation in various sectors and major issues of common concern and reached important consensus. They agreed on the need to stay committed to multilateralism, work for greater democracy in global governance, safeguard fairness and justice, and inject stability and positive energy into the turbulent international landscape.