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Xi made the remarks at a press conference during the 15th BRICS Summit after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that six countries, namely Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were invited to become new BRICS members.

As a developing country and a member of the Global South, China breathes the same breath as other developing countries and pursues a shared future with them, and has resolutely upheld the common interests of developing countries and worked to increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries in global affairs, said Xi in a speech read out by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao at the BRICS Business Forum 2023.

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“Right now, changes in the world, in our times and in history are unfolding in ways like never before, bringing human society to a critical juncture,” Xi warned in the speech titled “Enhance Solidarity and Cooperation to Overcome Risks and Challenges and Jointly Build a Better World.”

“Should we pursue cooperation and integration, or just succumb to division and confrontation? Should we work together to maintain peace and stability, or just sleepwalk into the abyss of a new Cold War? Should we embrace prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, or allow hegemonic and bullying acts to throw us into depression? Should we deepen mutual trust through exchanges and mutual learning, or allow hubris and prejudice to blind conscience?” Xi asked. “The course of history will be shaped by the choices we make.

Our world today has become a community with a shared future in which we all share a huge stake of survival, Xi said, noting that what people in various countries long for is “definitely not a new Cold War or a small exclusive bloc; what they want is an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys enduring peace, universal security and common prosperity.”

Such is the logic of historical advance and the trend of our times, Xi stressed, urging all countries to uphold the correct views of the world, of history and of our overall interests.

Noting that the global context is extremely complex nowadays, particularly in the economic and political fields, Eduardo Regalado, a researcher at the International Policy Research Center of Cuba, said the BRICS summit takes place at a time when more cooperation among countries is needed to bring prosperity and well-being to people worldwide.

The 15 BRICS summit is slated for Aug. 22-24 in Johannesburg, and leaders attending the event are to discuss issues including deepening BRICS cooperation, giving more voice to the Global South, and the BRICS group’s expansion.

“Emerging countries are becoming more and more relevant in the international arena. This summit will very much contribute to the shaping of a new global economic and political order. It will help change the current situation when it comes to international relations,” he said.

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In the speech, Xi underscores the importance of inclusive development, universal security, cultural exchange, and the collective rise of emerging economies and developing countries for a better world, expressing China’s willingness to deepen solidarity and cooperation with other emerging markets and developing countries to make the international order more just and equitable.

“We need to promote development and prosperity for all,” Xi said, adding that with perseverance, hard work and huge sacrifices, many emerging markets and developing countries succeeded in gaining independence, and “everything we do is to deliver better lives to our people.”

“Every country has the right to development, and the people in every country have the freedom to pursue a happy life,” Xi said, noting that China will work with all other countries to speed up cooperation under the Global Development Initiative, meet common challenges together and make life better for people across the world.

“We need to achieve universal security,” Xi said, adding that only a commitment to a new vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security can lead to universal security.

China stands ready to jointly pursue the Global Security Initiative with all others, have dialogue and oppose confrontation, forge partnership but not alliance, and pursue win-win outcome and oppose zero-sum game, and work together to build a community of security, Xi added.

“We need to stay committed to exchanges among civilizations and mutual learning,” Xi said, stressing that human civilization is colorful by nature, and deliberately creating division with the assertion of “democracy versus authoritarianism” and “liberalism versus autocracy” can only split the world and lead to clash of civilizations.

China, Xi said, welcomes all other countries to get involved in cooperation under the Global Civilization Initiative, promote the common values of humanity, encourage different civilizations to bring out their best and flourish together, and renew human civilization.

The collective rise of emerging markets and developing countries represented by BRICS is fundamentally changing the global landscape, Xi stressed, noting that whatever resistance there may be, BRICS, a positive and stable force for good, will continue to grow.

“We will forge stronger BRICS strategic partnership, expand the ‘BRICS Plus’ model, actively advance membership expansion, deepen solidarity and cooperation with other emerging markets and developing countries, promote global multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations, and help make the international order more just and equitable,” Xi said.

CHINA OPPORTUNITY

China will remain an important opportunity for the world’s development, Xi said in the speech, stressing China’s firm resolution in advancing high-standard opening-up, fostering a world-class, market-oriented business environment governed by a sound legal framework, and building a globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas.

China enjoys several distinct advantages: a socialist market economy in systemic terms, a supersize market in terms of demand, a full-fledged industrial system in terms of supply, and abundant, high-caliber labor force and entrepreneurs in terms of human resources, the Chinese president said, emphasizing that the Chinese economy has strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality, and the fundamentals sustaining China’s long-term growth will remain unchanged.

As it endeavors to achieve modernization for its more than 1.4 billion people, China will surely contribute even more to the global economy and provide even more opportunities for the global business community, Xi said.

China’s GDP expanded 6.3 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2023 with total goods imports and exports expanding 2.1 percent year on year to 20.1 trillion yuan (2.81 trillion U.S. dollars), according to official data.

The Chinese economy is projected to grow 5.6 percent in 2023, led by a rebound in consumer demand. Capital spending in infrastructure and manufacturing is expected to remain resilient, according to a World Bank press release in June.

China’s share of the global economy is crucial. By pursuing internal reforms and speeding up the opening up of its domestic market to foreign companies, China is offering opportunities to the rest of the world, said Lyazid Benhami, vice president of the Paris Association of French-Chinese Friendship.

“By investing in emerging countries, it is increasing the attractiveness and economic stability of countries that want to develop sustainably,” said Benhami.

BRICS countries choose their development paths independently, jointly defend their right to development, and march in tandem toward modernization, which represents the direction of the advancement of human society, and will profoundly impact the development process of the world, Xi said in a speech delivered at the 15th BRICS Summit.

The track record of the BRICS shows that the members have consistently acted on the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, and taken BRICS cooperation to new heights in support of the five countries’ development, he said.

BRICS nations, Xi said, 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.

BRICS countries invariably advocate and practice independent foreign policies, said Xi, adding that they always address major international issues based on their merits, making fair remarks and taking fair actions.

BRICS nations do not barter away principles, succumb to external pressure, or act as vassals of others, he said, adding that they share extensive consensus and common goals.

No matter how the international situation changes, the BRICS’s commitment to cooperation since the very beginning and the common aspiration will not change, he added.

Xi also noted that BRICS countries gather at a crucial time to build on their past achievements and open up a new future for BRICS cooperation.

He called on all members to navigate the trend of the times and stay in the forefront.

BRICS members should always bear in mind their founding purpose of strengthening themselves through unity, enhance cooperation across the board, and build a high-quality partnership, Xi said.

All BRICS countries, he added, should help reform global governance to make it more just and equitable, and bring to the world more certainty, stability and positive energy.

Xi called for efforts to deepen business and financial cooperation among BRICS countries to boost economic growth.

Xi said the world economic recovery remains shaky, and challenges for developing countries are even more formidable, hampering their efforts to realize the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Development is an inalienable right of all countries, not a privilege reserved for a few,” Xi said.

He called on BRICS countries to be fellow companions on the journey of development and revitalization, and oppose decoupling and supply chains disruption as well as economic coercion.

BRICS countries should focus on practical cooperation, particularly in such fields as digital economy, green development, and supply chain, and bolster economic, trade and financial exchanges, Xi said.

He added that China will set up a China-BRICS Science and Innovation Incubation Park for the New Era to support the deployment of innovation results.

Xi called on BRICS countries to expand political and security cooperation to uphold peace and tranquility.

“The Cold War mentality is still haunting our world, and the geopolitical situation is getting tense,” Xi said.

The BRICS countries should keep to the direction of peaceful development, and consolidate the BRICS strategic partnership, Xi said, adding that members should make good use of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Meeting of High Representatives on National Security and other mechanisms, support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, and enhance coordination on major international and regional issues.

“We need to tender good offices on hotspot issues, pushing for political settlement and lowering the temperature,” he said.

Noting that artificial intelligence (AI) is a new area of development, which not only can bring huge development dividends, but also contains risks and challenges, Xi said the BRICS countries have agreed to launch the AI Study Group at an early date.

“We need to enable the study group to play its full role, further expand cooperation on AI, and step up information exchanges and technological cooperation,” he said.

The BRICS members should also jointly fend off risks, promote the establishment of an international mechanism for universal participation, and develop AI governance frameworks and standards with broad-based consensus, so as to continuously make AI technologies more secure, reliable, controllable and equitable, he added.

Also in his speech, Xi said human history will not end in one civilization or one system.

“There are many civilizations and development paths in the world, and this is how the world should be,” he said.

“We should increase people-to-people exchanges and promote mutual learning between civilizations,” he added.

The Chinese leader said BRICS countries need to champion the spirit of inclusiveness, advocate peaceful coexistence and harmony between civilizations, and promote respect of all countries in independently choosing their modernization paths.

“We need to make good use of such mechanisms as the BRICS seminar on governance, the BRICS forum on people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and the Women Innovation Contest to deepen people-to-people exchanges and strengthen the bond between our peoples,” he noted.

Xi also said that China would like to propose that BRICS countries expand cooperation on education, enhance the role of the BRICS alliance for vocational education, explore and set up a cooperation mechanism on digital education, and foster a paradigm of all-round cooperation on education.

In addition, he also urged BRICS countries to strengthen exchanges on traditional cultures and promote the renewal of fine traditional cultures.

Xi urged BRICS countries to uphold fairness and justice, and improve global governance.

Xi said strengthening global governance is the right choice if the international community intends to share development opportunities and tackle global challenges.

International rules must be written and upheld jointly by all countries based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, rather than dictated by those with the strongest muscles or the loudest voice, he said.

Xi also said ganging up to form exclusive groups and packaging their own rules as international norms are even more unacceptable.

BRICS countries, Xi said, should practice true multilateralism, uphold the UN-centered international system, support and strengthen the WTO-centered multilateral trading system, and reject the attempt to create small circles or exclusive blocs.

“We need to fully leverage the role of the New Development Bank, push forward reform of the international financial and monetary systems, and increase the representation and voice of developing countries,” he added.

Addressing the summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his concerns that global financial and payment systems are increasingly being used as instruments of geopolitical contestation.

He also said new realities call for a fundamental reform of the institutions of global governance so that they can be more representative and better able to respond to challenges.

The BRICS group supports the rise of a multipolar world order, and opposes attempts made by some countries to assert their hegemony, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the summit in a virtual address.

“We are all unanimously in favor of the formation of a multipolar world order that is truly just and based on international law,” the Kremlin reported Putin as saying at the summit.

“We are against any kind of hegemony, exclusivity, which is being promoted by some countries,” Putin said.

Putin noted that the BRICS group is strengthening economic cooperation in such fields as supply chain diversification, de-dollarization and transition to national currencies in mutual settlements.

Putin outlined the importance of enhancing cooperation in other fields such as innovation, and in the creation of safe transport routes.

The future-oriented strategic course of BRICS meets the aspirations of the global majority, Putin said, adding that the BRICS group is tackling some of the most pressing issues on the global and regional agenda.

China will also try its best to provide support for Cuba’s economic and social development, said Xi in a meeting with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit.

Xi recalled that President Diaz-Canel paid a successful state visit to China last November, when they reached a broad consensus on further deepening China-Cuba ties in the new era and agreed to work together to build a China-Cuba community with a shared future.

With the joint efforts of both sides, the consensus is being effectively implemented, Xi said. China is ready to work with Cuba to continue deepening political mutual trust, expanding practical cooperation, strengthening strategic coordination, and pushing for progress in the special friendly relationship between the two parties and the two countries, Xi added.

China praises Cuba’s steadfast support for China in issues concerning its core interests, Xi said.

Xi stressed that the Group of 77 and China is an important platform for cooperation among developing countries, adding that Cuba, as the current chair of the Group of 77 and China, has made positive contributions to strengthening the unity of developing countries.

China attaches great importance to and supports Cuba in successfully holding the Group of 77 and China Summit next month, Xi noted. China is willing to work with Cuba and other members of the Group of 77 to better safeguard the common interests and development rights of developing countries, Xi said.

For his part, Diaz-Canel spoke of his successful state visit to China last November, saying that both sides are earnestly implementing the important consensus reached by the two leaders.

He said the current Cuba-China relations are at a historical peak, adding that the Cuban people deeply admire President Xi and are grateful for China’s understanding and invaluable support for Cuba’s just cause.

Cuba firmly supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Xi, he said, adding that Cuba is ready to work with China to deepen Belt and Road cooperation, build a Cuba-China community with a shared future, and advance on paths of socialism with respective characteristics.

The Caribbean country is ready to closely collaborate with China to ensure the success of the Group of 77 and China Summit, he said.

Attracted by the openness and inclusiveness of BRICS, more countries have decided to apply to join the group, which reflects the shared aspiration of developing countries to focus on their own development, seek unity and cooperation, and oppose external interference.

Experts have highlighted the significance of this expected expansion and the potential benefits it holds.

Home to over 40 percent of the world’s population and about a quarter of the global economy, the BRICS has become a force of attraction for many developing countries.

BRICS is the grouping of the world’s leading emerging market economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

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It is significant both as the first in-person BRICS gathering in more than three years and one which pools wisdom from beyond the five major emerging national economies — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The world has been keeping tabs on this year’s summit, which brings African countries together for a bigger pie of the global economy and to fill up the considerable gap in global governance.

Notably, more than 40 countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Argentina and Bangladesh, have signaled their intent for BRICS membership. The growing list of aspirants queuing up to join the grouping, initially composed of the five emerging markets, speaks to its allure and inclusiveness.

This is not tall talk. BRICS countries have a combined population of over 3.2 billion people, accounting for some 40 percent of the world’s roughly 8 billion population. Together, they represent a quarter of the global GDP and account for 16 percent of world trade.

By incorporating African countries in this year’s talks, BRICS delivers the message that multilateralism and common development must include the Global South. These emerging markets are becoming an essential driving force for global growth and promoting more democratic international relations.

“BRICS has tapped into a demand that wasn’t being met elsewhere,” said Rebecca Ray, a senior researcher at the Boston University Global Development Policy Center. Many are pinning hopes on these “BRICS Plus” hopefuls to bring fresh blood to the grouping as it expands its representation for a large group of developing countries feeling undervalued or left behind by a Western-dominated world.

Such a world is malfunctioning. The pandemic, for instance, has laid bare the ingrained structural inequalities and an incapable and indifferent West. Not to mention a global climate response, among other Sustainable Development Goals. It is under question if wealthy and resourceful developed countries can genuinely deliver on their promises with reliable leadership.

The Global South, reeling from the shocks of the coronavirus, an ongoing Ukraine crisis and the U.S. Fed’s aggressive rate hikes, has come to its senses: The only viable way out is self-strengthening and interdependence with like-minded nations aboard the same boat.

The crux of the global woes is “economic concentration that leaves too many nations at the mercy of too few,” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said, urging the gathering to “send out a strong message that the world is multipolar, that it is rebalancing.”

Increasingly, BRICS is seen as a mechanism that can help fix the flawed global system that lacks transparency, justice and fairness.

Many countries in the Global South seek an alternative to the current world order, dominated by a collection of alliances led by the United States and marred by divisive geopolitical issues. They look to the BRICS nations to speak up for their overlooked development rights.

Over the years, cooperation has expanded on multiple fronts, underpinned by the New Development Bank. Established in 2015, the bank is a supporting facility to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects.

Figures released by the bank earlier this year showed that it has approved nearly a hundred projects with a total value of 33.2 billion U.S. dollars, significantly contributing to its member countries’ economic and social development and bolstering its own green and sustainable credentials.

Meanwhile, BRICS members have advocated a partnership on the new industrial revolution to deepen cooperation in digitalization, industrialization and innovation. This helps smooth the flow of goods and services and stabilize the industrial and supply chains amid protectionist tech curbs and rising decoupling moves from the West.

Indeed, BRICS countries gather not in a closed club or an exclusive circle but in a big family of mutual support and win-win cooperation. This calling card alone distinguishes itself from many other groupings, which are either self-serving or hijacked by Cold War thinking.

“One key issue for the BRICS to consider is global governance. There is a need to change the current system, which is unfair and asymmetric. In particular, the architecture of the financial system needs a major reform,” Carlos Maria Correa, executive director of the South Center, told Xinhua.

Through years of development, BRICS has proven as an inspiring model of harmony in diversity, exemplifying how countries with divergent interests and cultures can form a coherent whole with shared cravings for recovery, resilience and broader representation.

As a key founding member and growth contributor, China has pushed for practical cooperation within the grouping. Official data shows China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, which speaks to its pivotal role at this year’s gathering. With its ample development track record and experience in poverty alleviation, China has much to offer the Global South.

The time has come for the world’s often-ignored nations to have a say in global affairs. The BRICS summit in Johannesburg is the perfect place to start.

“China’s role in boosting BRICS is essential in light of the several initiatives proposed by Beijing in the past few years, including the Belt and Road, Global Development, and Global Security,” Mokhtar Ghobashy, deputy chairman of the Cairo-based Arab Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Those initiatives have certainly sped up development and stability in the world and enhanced the strength and pace of the global economy, Ghobashy added.

Over the past 17 years since its establishment, BRICS, an emerging-market grouping that comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has become an all-round and multi-level framework, accounting for some 40 percent of the world population and about a quarter of the global GDP.

As an attractive gathering, more and more countries desire to join BRICS, which signals its economic force, he said.

Moreover, Ghobashy pointed out, most of the countries that officially requested to join BRICS are economic and political powers with regional influence like Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

When a country like Saudi Arabia, the largest oil producer in the world, bids to join, it will certainly add great momentum to the grouping, he added.

The expert attributes the BRICS bloc’s attractiveness to the fact that it provides “unconditional development opportunities for countries.”

“Joining the bloc will increase investments and trade exchange between its member states, and the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) could offer soft loans,” he said.

He noted that cooperation among BRICS member states is a model to learn from, and many countries are passionate to join it because the gathering does not have geographic barriers, adding that it comprises countries from Asia, Africa, and South America.

The NDB, with an initial authorized capital amounting to 100 billion U.S. dollars, funds development opportunities worldwide, Ghobashy added.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, together with South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor, and Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma, minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, warmly greeted Xi at the OR Tambo International Airport of Johannesburg.

A group of South African women presented Xi with flowers, honor guards saluted him, and people dressed in South African traditional costumes performed dances.

President Ramaphosa warmly welcomed Xi for his state visit to South Africa.

Xi said that he is very glad to visit South Africa again and looks forward to having in-depth exchanges of views with Ramaphosa on deepening China-South Africa relations and issues of common interest.

In a written speech, Xi extended heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the people of South Africa on behalf of the Chinese people. Noting that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa, Xi emphasized that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries has entered a new stage.

A solid and growing China-South Africa relationship not only benefits the two peoples, but also brings more stability to a world which is undergoing transformation and turbulence, Xi said, adding that he believes with the two sides’ concerted efforts, the visit will definitely be a complete success.

The BRICS cooperation mechanism, a key cooperation platform for emerging markets and major developing countries, has become a constructive force for the world’s economic growth, better global governance and greater democracy in international relations, said Xi.

He is confident that the upcoming BRICS summit will become an important milestone in the development of the BRICS mechanism, and help take the unity and cooperation of developing countries to a higher level, Xi added.

Xi also noted that he looks forward to attending the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue, where he will explore ways together with African leaders for closer cooperation, greater development and a more peaceful world.

Xi’s entourage, including Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and foreign minister, arrived on the same plane.

Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Chen Xiaodong greeted the delegation at the airport.

At midnight, when Xi’s motorcade was on its way from the airport to the hotel, overseas Chinese gathered on the streets along the way, waving national flags of the two countries and holding banners such as “Long live China-South Africa friendship” to warmly welcome Xi’s visit.

Ahead of his trip, Xi replied to a letter from the faculty and students of the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology in South Africa, encouraging them to learn the Chinese language well and contribute to carrying forward the China-South Africa friendship and promoting friendly cooperation between the two countries.

In his letter, Xi said that he witnessed the establishment of the Confucius Institute 10 years ago and was pleased to see that, through the joint efforts of both sides, the educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries have yielded fruitful results.

The interaction shows the great importance that Xi attaches to promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges among BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

In his speech at the plenary session of the BRICS Xiamen Summit in 2017, Xi devoted one section to expounding on how he views the cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Citing an ancient Chinese saying, “amity between the people holds the key to sound state-to-state relations,” Xi said enhancing the exchanges among peoples of BRICS countries and seeing the spirit of partnership embraced by all the people in these countries is a worthy cause that deserves enduring commitment.

“A job well done in this regard will keep BRICS cooperation vibrant,” he stressed.

Over the years, Xi has personally supported the efforts to boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges among BRICS countries.

Xi has shared stories in this regard in speeches delivered during trips to the other four BRICS countries. He lauded Carlos Tavares, a Brazilian expert on China, for enabling more people to understand China through his books, articles and speeches. In a speech delivered during a trip to India, Xi also cited verses by Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore that had inspired him.

Among Xi’s numerous interactions with people from these countries was a congratulatory message he sent in 2017 to celebrate the inaugural semester of Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, the first joint Sino-Russian university. He encouraged education officials and teachers from both countries to contribute to Sino-Russian educational cooperation and bilateral friendship.

Thanks to China’s active participation and vigorous promotion, BRICS cooperation has transitioned from a framework driven by the “two wheels” of politics and economy to the “triple pillars” of political and security cooperation, economic and financial cooperation, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

In recent years, cultural and people-to-people exchanges have notably gained momentum, and the activities of such exchanges are taking place regularly and have been institutionalized.

There has been a wide range of activities, from the BRICS media forums, film festivals, and cultural festivals, to women’s innovation contests, and technical and vocational education programs. This rich variety demonstrates that BRICS countries are committed to creating a broad landscape for cross-regional and cross-cultural exchanges.

They have not only accelerated the advancement of the BRICS cooperation mechanism but also presented a “BRICS model” for fostering inclusiveness and mutual learning among different civilizations.