Beijing, May 19 (PTI) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday said the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – should help to stabilise international relations at a time when the world is rocked by turbulence.
Delivering a video address at the opening session of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting which was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Xi noted that currently, the impact of major changes and a pandemic unseen in a century are being combined, and factors of instability, uncertainty and insecurity are increasing in the international situation.
“Despite it, peace and development remain the unchanging theme of the times, the aspiration of people across countries for a better life remains unchanged, and the historical mission for the international community to pursue solidarity and win-win cooperation remains unchanged,” Xi said.
China is this year’s chair of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) grouping. The Foreign Ministers’ meeting was held via video link as part of the BRICS annual summit planned for next month.
Xi said that as a positive, inspiring and constructive force in the international community, the BRICS countries need to firm up belief, brave the storms and waves and take real action to promote peace and development, uphold fairness and justice, and advocate democracy and freedom, so as to inject stability and positive energy into international relations in a period of turbulence and transformation.
He stressed that both history and reality tell us that seeking one’s own security at the expense of others’ will only create new tensions and risks. To promote common security in the world, he put forward not long ago the Global Security Initiative (GSI).
Amid Russia’s war against Ukraine and China’s growing concerns over the forays made by the US with its Quad (US, India, Japan and Australia) and AUKUS (US, UK and Australia), Xi had proposed the GSI in April this year at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Hainan province, which broadly states that the countries should respect sovereignty of others as well as their security concerns.
While China backed Russia’s war against Ukraine attributing it to Moscow’s concerns over NATO’s expansion, Beijing has been critical of the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy to assert the freedom of navigation opposing its aggressive expansion in the disputed South China Sea.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan have counterclaims over the South China Sea.
China opposes the Quad as well as AUKUS on the grounds that they were aimed at curbing its rise.
In his speech, Xi said the BRICS countries need to strengthen political mutual trust and security cooperation, maintain close communication and coordination on major international and regional issues.
They should accommodate each other’s core interests and major concerns, respect each other’s sovereignty, security and development interests, oppose hegemonism and power politics, reject Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, and work together to build a global community of security for all.
Development is a common task for emerging markets and developing countries, Xi said, adding that facing the various risks and challenges of the day, it is more than ever important for emerging markets and developing countries to strengthen solidarity and cooperation.
He called on the five BRICS countries to engage in dialogue and exchanges with more emerging markets and developing countries to increase mutual understanding and trust, tighten the bond of cooperation, and deepen the convergence of interests. PTI KJV ZH AKJ ZH ZH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.