Chinese foreign minister briefs media on upcoming BRICS Summit

BRICS

Leaders from the BRICS countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will open their annual Summit on Sunday, Sept. 3.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi briefed the media on what to expect in Xiamen. He said among other things, the bloc will deepen its cooperation.

CGTN’s Li Jianhua reports.

The five countries have been calling for open and inclusive economic cooperation and governance, which dominated the discussion of the Hamburg G20 Summit. The bloc has also been dedicated to securing multilateralism and world peace. As Wang Yi said, “We have set up a mechanism of discussion over international issues based in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, on a regular basis, so as to increase the voice of the five-member bloc.”

The theme of this year’s summit is “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future.” Chinese President Xi Jinping is to chair the Summit and the Dialogue of Emerging Markets and Developing Countries.

Experts have been speculating that the five-member bloc might be extended to other countries, as the bloc was expanded from four to five when South Africa joined in 2010. Echoing that expectation, Wang Yi said China is proposing a new cooperation model, dubbed as “BRICS-plus,” noting this may bring more assets to emerging economies.

The meaning of the cooperation is well beyond the five countries – it has a global influence. China’s Foreign Ministry states the event aims to enhance economic and security cooperation, which is beneficial to all parties.

Wang Yi also commented on the withdrawal of Indian troops on Monday from the border area. He says there is huge potential that China and India can tap into for future cooperation.

“China and India are two large neighboring countries. I think it’s natural to have problems as the interactions increase,” said Wang Yi. “However, it’s crucial to put those problems in their proper place, and solve them with mutual respect and in accordance with the consensus made by leaders of the two countries. We still need to work through various mechanisms, and secure a long-term solution to the issue.”

BRICS countries’ share of the global economy is 23 percent, an 11-percentage-point increase in less than a decade.

The summit in the eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, beginning on Sunday, will be the 9th meeting of the bloc.