BRICS members still a driving force for global development

By He Yafei

During the just-concluded BRICS Summit held in Goa, India, Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of other BRICS nations signed a series of important agreements and discussed continued cooperation in the areas of new energy and basic infrastructure. The world is now looking to BRICS to help increase participation of developing countries in global governance and ultimately usher in a new chapter of globalization and global governance.

 

As representative emerging economies, BRICS countries’ actions after the global economic crisis have demonstrated that the BRICS mechanism is stronger than ever.

 

First of all, the five members have grown into the bellwether of developing countries. After a decade of development, with increasingly mature mechanisms and all-round, multiple-layered and multi-dimensional cooperation frameworks, the five-nation bloc has become an important platform for major developing countries to engage in dialogue and cooperation.

 

Thanks to the cooperation and solidarity among BRICS countries, the developing world has increased its status, giving it more say in international political and economic affairs. In addition, as a driving force of global growth, BRICS countries have played an indispensable role in helping stabilize the world economy and pursue comprehensive development.

 

Moreover, with their increasing global influence on the world stage, BRICS and developing countries have played a bigger role in addressing global challenges.

 

Second, as an important platform for global economic governance in today’s world, BRICS is sure to accelerate the transition of global governance from a West-dominated architecture to one that sees participation by both the West and the East. Such a shift is in keeping with today’s changing influence of major powers.

 

Closer BRICS collaboration in the areas of economic growth, financial reform, climate change and trade can speed up the reform of international finance, increase the voice of developing nations, urge the developed world to reduce the negative spillover effect of their monetary policies and create a favorable global environment for the economic growth and financial stability of the developing world.

 

BRICS cooperation does not mean replacing the current international system and global governance system with a new one, but endeavoring to improve current systems in keeping with changes in the global arena.

 

Third, the common development of developing countries that BRICS encourages will help bring about the sustained growth of the world economy, eliminate the negative effects brought by globalization, narrow down the international wealth gap and as a result usher the world into a new era of globalization.

 

The international community agrees with BRICS nations’ judgment that “development-related issues are the top priority of sustainable economic development” as development can safeguard global justice and bring about a peaceful and stable environment for development.

 

It’s worth mentioning that BRICS members have been helping developing countries eliminate poverty and narrow their gap with the developed world via South-South cooperation.

 

I believe that the Goa Summit will certainly provide a new driving force for global development and the resolution of urgent global challenges.

 

(A former vice foreign minister and former vice-minister of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the author is a senior adviser with Beijing-based think tank the Pangoal Institution.)

 

 

 

 

金砖“成色”依旧十足

 

何亚非  来源：人民日报

 

刚刚落幕的印度果阿金砖峰会上，中国国家主席习近平与金砖国家领导人举行重要会晤，签署了一系列重要协议，取得基础设施建设、能源合作等一系列丰硕成果。世人期待金砖国家机制能够引领发展中国家推动全球治理体系向东西方共同治理的方向转变，推动全球化、全球治理向新的阶段迈进。

 

作为新兴国家的代表，金砖五国在金融危机后的表现充分说明，金砖国家机制非但没有褪色，反而光彩照人。

 

首先，金砖国家已经成为发展中国家的领头羊。经过近十年的发展，金砖机制已经日趋成熟，形成了多层次、多领域、全方位的全面合作架构，成为发展中大国在各领域进行交流、对话、合作的重要平台。金砖国家的团结合作将进一步提升发展中国家在世界政治、经济事务中的整体话语权和决策权。同时，金砖国家也是世界经济增长的主要推动力，是克服全球经济失衡、推动全面发展不可或缺的重要力量。金砖机制在国际事务中的声音越来越响亮，解决全球性挑战已离不开金砖国家和发展中国家的整体参与和合作。

 

其次，金砖国家机制是当今全球经济治理的重要平台，也将推动全球治理加快由过去的西方治理向东西方共同治理转变。世界力量对比发生变化，全球治理体系也要相应调整。金砖国家加强在经济增长、金融改革、气候变化、贸易摩擦等方面的协调和合作，有助于共同推动国际金融体系的改革，提升发展中国家整体代表性，也有利于敦促发达国家减少其货币政策的负面溢出效应，为实现发展中国家经济增长和维护金融稳定创造有利的国际环境。金砖国家加强合作不是谋求推翻现有的国际体系、推翻全球治理体系、另起炉灶，而是希望完善这样的体系，让这一体系更加适应形势的发展。

 

第三，金砖国家推动和引领发展中国家的共同发展，有利于世界经济的长期、可持续增长，有利于克服全球化的负面影响、缩小国际贫富差距、引领世界进入新全球化时代。金砖国家关于“发展问题是经济持续发展中最重要的问题”这一论断被国际社会广泛接受，这显然有利于维护国际的公平正义，也有利于构建和平稳定的发展环境。

 

值得一提的是，金砖国家非常重视通过发展来解决脱贫和扶贫问题，并且还通过“南南合作”的渠道帮助其他发展中国家减少贫困、缩小与发达国家的贫富差距，从而促进世界各国的共同发展。我相信，果阿金砖峰会一定会为全球发展和解决全球性的、紧迫性的挑战提供新的推动力。

 

（作者为盘古智库高级顾问，外交部原副部长、国务院侨务办公室原副主任）