By Hu Zexi, Wang Di, The 16th BRICS Summit will be held in Kazan, Russia, from Oct. 22 to 24. This upcoming summit is the first to be held after the BRICS expansion, playing a prominent role in getting the greater BRICS cooperation off to a good start. It is also important for BRICS countries to unite the Global South and play a greater role in international affairs. Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 16th BRICS Summit.
“More than 30 nations have formally applied to join BRICS.” With its rising global influence, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has become a focus of media around the world. The increasing number of developing countries applying to join the BRICS family fully demonstrates the vitality and appeal of the BRICS cooperation mechanism.
Since its inception, BRICS countries have consistently acted on the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation, and taken BRICS cooperation to new heights. They have upheld fairness and justice in international affairs, stood up for what is right on major international and regional issues, and enhanced the voice and influence of emerging markets and developing countries. Faced with the current complex international situation, the Global South countries increasingly rely on the BRICS.
Under the suggestion of China, the BRICS expansion process was initiated during the 14th BRICS Summit held in Beijing in 2022. At the 15th BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2023, the BRICS achieved a historic expansion. Earlier this year, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Ethiopia officially became members of the BRICS family.
The new round of expansion has further enhanced the global representation and influence of the BRICS mechanism, making it a more important force in shaping the international landscape.
Last November, leaders of BRICS countries joined the Extraordinary Joint Meeting of BRICS Leaders and Leaders of Invited BRICS Members on the Situation in the Middle East with Particular Reference to Gaza, to coordinate positions and actions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
This year, the 14th BRICS Trade Ministers Meeting and the 14th Meeting of the BRICS high-ranking officials responsible for the security matters and national security advisors were held successively to build more consensus for cooperation, safeguard peace and stability, and seek common development and revitalization.
On multilateral platforms such as the United Nations (UN) and the G20, the BRICS countries have jointly defended the rights and interests of emerging markets and developing countries.
The world today is experiencing disorder, slowing growth, uneven development, and a loss of focus in governance. In the face of increasingly complex and challenging international situations, the greater BRICS cooperation bears greater responsibilities and higher expectations.
The greater BRICS cooperation will continue to promote common security and strive for lasting peace. The BRICS countries will support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, and enhance coordination on major international and regional issues.
China and Brazil have jointly released the six-point consensus on the common understandings on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, which has received positive responses from more than 110 countries.
On the Palestinian question, the BRICS countries emphasize the need to push for the early realization of a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, support Palestine’s full UN membership, and implement the two-state solution.
The greater BRICS cooperation will focus on development as a priority and remove hindrance to development. The membership expansion has contributed to a wider-ranging, broader, and higher-quality cooperation among BRICS countries. By revitalizing the cooperation outcomes and unlocking new cooperation potential, the countries are committed to leveraging the opportunities brought by technological revolution and industrial transformation to nurture new drivers for high-quality development and create new landmark achievements in areas such as finance, artificial intelligence, energy, and minerals.
The greater BRICS cooperation will follow true multilateralism and improve global governance. The BRICS expansion has further increased the representation of the BRICS family on the global stage, which will expand the topics of global governance joined by BRICS countries and improve their governance capabilities. The upcoming BRICS summit has once again focused on multilateralism, demonstrating the confidence and determination of BRICS countries in upholding multilateral cooperation.
Currently, the Global South accounts for over 40 percent of the world economy, profoundly reshaping the global economic landscape. As the leading members of the Global South, the BRICS countries are working for greater solidarity and cooperation among countries of the Global South. Together, they have stayed true to the fundamental aspiration of upholding the common interests of the Global South and pushing for a more balanced and effective global governance.
At a new starting point, the strategic significance and political effects of the greater BRICS should be fully leveraged to make BRICS a new type of multilateral cooperation mechanism based on emerging markets and developing countries, and open and inclusive to the world.
China has been a consistent advocate of and contributor to BRICS cooperation. As Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out, BRICS countries gather not in a closed club or an exclusive circle, but a big family of mutual support and a partnership for win-win cooperation. They need to uphold openness and inclusiveness and pool collective wisdom and strength, which meets the realistic needs of BRICS development and serves the common interests of all BRICS countries. Building on a solid foundation, the greater BRICS cooperation is bound to embrace a bright future. Moving forward, China stands ready to strengthen strategic partnerships with all BRICS partners, get the greater BRICS cooperation off to a good start, and build a community with a shared future for mankind, so as to make greater contributions to the development and progress of human society.
