Op-ed: Xi’s proposals to push BRICS cooperation to a new high
By Zhong Sheng
Chinese President Xi Jinping, in an important speech delivered at the BRICS Business Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa on Wednesday, depicted the world’s development trend in the next decade and charted a course for leapfrog development of BRICS cooperation in its second Golden Decade.
The proposal he put forward in the speech titled “Keeping Abreast of the Trend of the Times to Achieve Common Development” will push BRICS countries to work more closely toward fruitful results, demonstrating China’s strong sense of responsibility.
The BRICS countries, coming from four different continents, have a total population of three billion and represent nearly 40 percent of global economy. Over the last decade, the BRICS countries, guided by the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, have deepened pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and built a cooperation framework that covers wide-ranging areas and multiple levels.
At the BRICS Summit held in China’s Xiamen last year, the leaders of BRICS members unanimously agreed to strengthen the strategic partnership, consolidate the cooperation architecture with its three main drivers, namely, economic cooperation, political and security cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges.
They also laid out a vision of BRICS Plus cooperation and jointly ushered in the second Golden Decade of BRICS cooperation.
Grasping the right direction for BRICS cooperation needs deep perception of the development of global economy and the transformation of the international order, as well as a correct understanding of the unprecedented changes the world is going through.
Xi’s speech at BRICS Business Forum showed his foresight. “The next decade will be a crucial one in which new global growth drivers will take the place of old ones,” he said, adding that the next decade will see faster changes in the international landscape and the international alignment of forces, as well as a profound reshaping of the global governance system.
The BRICS countries should seize development opportunities, jointly meet challenges, and play a constructive role in building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind. This should be the right choice for emerging markets and developing countries in front of opportunities and challenges.
The BRICS countries should pursue win-win cooperation to build an open economy, pursue innovation and seize development opportunities, pursue inclusive growth to deliver benefits to people of all countries, and uphold multilateralism and improve global governance, Xi said.
The president’s proposals are in line with the BRICS countries’ requirement for development and the calls of the international community. They also reflect the firm conviction of the BRICS countries to choose cooperation instead of confrontation, opening-up instead of a close-door policy, and mutual benefit instead of a beggar-thy-neighbor approach.
Xi’s speech was widely applauded by foreign delegates, who said it enlightens the future development of BRICS countries and that China is always spreading positive energy to the world.
If you want to go fast, walk alone; and if you want to go far, walk together. This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up. China, the largest developing country in the world, will open its door wider and make important contribution to peace and development of mankind while pursuing its own development.
In the speech, Xi reiterated China’s firm resolution to foster greater opportunities for common development of emerging markets and developing countries.
From the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai scheduled in this November, to the Belt and Road Initiative and the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to be held in September in Beijing, China has always been docking its own development with that of the world in order to achieve common prosperity and progress.
President Xi’s proposals have revealed China’s willingness to open up to the world, which will benefit other BRICS members, emerging markets and developing countries, said Makhukhu Mampuru, head of the Economic Development Bureau of Gauteng Province, South Africa.
“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb,” Xi quoted a famous saying by late South African President Nelson Mandela.
It is the common wish of people of all countries that the BRICS countries shoulder their responsibility, forge ahead together, scale new peaks and reach new heights. The BRICS spirit will shed light on the new journey and make even greater contribution to peace and development of mankind in the second Golden Decade of BRICS cooperation.
Pic:
Entrepreneurs discuss on cooperation chances at the South Africa-China Business Forum on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. (Photo by Lv Qiang from People’s Daily)
