XI: BRICS ENTERS NEW PHASE OF HIGH-QUALITY DEVELOPMENT

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 12 /SRNA/ – Chinese President Xi Jinping said BRICS had undergone historic expansion, developed a comprehensive, multi-layered cooperation framework and entered a new phase of high-quality development and deeper cooperation.

Speaking at the opening session of the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi, Xi pointed out that this year marks 20 years of BRICS cooperation. Over the past two decades, the cooperation mechanism has continued to develop and strengthen, demonstrating strong vitality and momentum and becoming one of the most influential platforms for cooperation among developing countries and emerging markets, he said.

In a speech titled "Taking Responsibility for Our Times and Becoming Pioneers," Xi said the past 20 years had been the period of independence and self-confidence.

"BRICS countries have actively explored development paths suited to their national circumstances and have become an example of developing countries and emerging markets relying on their own strength and becoming stronger together. These have been 20 years of jointly confronting challenges.

Together, BRICS countries faced challenges such as the global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, firmly defended the common interests of the Global South and provided stability and positive energy to the world. These have been 20 years of fruitful results," Xi stated.

He stated that profound changes unseen in a century were unfolding at an accelerating pace, that the Global South was steadily gaining strength and that the trend towards a multipolar world was irreversible.

At the same time, he said, unilateralism and power politics were gaining ground again, while multilateralism and the international order were facing serious pressure. The "deficit of peace," "deficit of development,"! "deficit of security" and "deficit of governance" were deepening, Chinese Media Group reported.

Chinese President believes that BRICS countries should firmly stand on the right side of history, act as pioneers of their time, steer the international order towards greater fairness and rationality, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

"First, they should lead efforts to promote innovative development. They need to firmly keep the initiative in their own hands, strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence, promote open-source development, openness and the sharing of cooperation outcomes, raise practical cooperation to new levels and steer it towards higher-quality development.

China welcomes the active participation of all BRICS countries in the World Organization for Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence. China has proposed a BRICS initiative to empower new industrialization through artificial intelligence and is ready to work with all parties to generate more results in research, development and application, as well as deepen cooperation across industrial and supply chains.

Second, BRICS countries should lead efforts to protect peace and stability. They should advocate for the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, oppose Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, oppose violations of other countries' sovereignty and interference in their internal affairs, constructively participate in resolving hotspot issues and make a united BRICS contribution to finding solutions that address both the symptoms and root causes of problems.

China is ready to work with BRICS members to contribute appropriately to peace and stability in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region.

Third, BRICS countries should lead efforts to promote mutual learning among civilizations. They should promote the common values of humanity, advocate exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and promote harmonious coexistence.

The BRICS countries should successfully organize the BRICS Forum on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges, share experience in state governance and development and build positive momentum for the stable development of relations among countries.

They should also deepen cooperation in culture, tourism, education and other areas, strengthen youth exchanges and promote more frequent people-to-people contacts, so that people can better understand and grow closer to one another.

Fourth, BRICS countries should take the lead in reforming and improving global governance. They should follow the broader trend towards the democratization of international relations, promote the development of a fairer and more rational system of global governance and uphold the authority of the United Nations.

They should support a multilateral trading system centered on the World Trade Organization and oppose all forms of protectionism. They should take the lead in developing global governance in emerging areas such as cyberspace, outer space and the deep sea, and strengthen the voice of Global South countries in international affairs," Xi stressed.

Xi emphasized that over the past 20 years, through periods of both progress and setbacks, unity and cooperation had always been the driving force behind BRICS development.

He said BRICS countries should remain committed to sincerity, seek common ground while respecting differences, respect one another’s core interests, deepen mutual understanding through communication and dialogue, and appropriately address differences and disagreements in order to ensure the stable and long-term development of BRICS cooperation.

China will assume the BRICS chairmanship next year and host the 19th BRICS Leaders' Summit. China is ready to work with all parties to build consensus, forge a path towards the future, usher in the third "golden decade" of BRICS cooperation and jointly create a bright future of prosperity and progress.