The cooperation among the five BRICS countries has set an example of a new type of international relations, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday. 

Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the five member countries, the cooperation has become increasingly cohesive with its influence constantly on the rise, Wang said in an address to a BRICS foreign ministers' meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. 

It has served as both a stabilizer in international turbulence and an example of a new type of international relations, he said. 

The five countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. 

Citing unprecedented opportunities and challenges, the Chinese top diplomat called on the group to continue the momentum of cooperation, expand areas of collaboration and advance the cooperation to a higher level so as to build a bigger and stronger BRICS. 

The current priority is to prepare for the BRICS summit to be held in Brasilia, Brazil in November, he said. 

"We should continue to advocate multilateralism, take the lead in safeguarding the international system with the United Nations at its core, and uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," Wang told his counterparts.   

He advocated that global affairs should be settled by the peoples of the world through consultation and said international law should be obeyed. 

"Imposing unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction have no basis in international law and are unpopular and impracticable." 

The Chinese foreign minister pointed out there have been new developments in the Gulf, Korean Peninsula and Afghanistan, and stressed that BRICS countries should work together to promote the political solution of hotspot issues. 

"No matter what the problem is and where it happens, there is only one right way out: Political settlement through dialogue and  negotiation," he said, promising that China will continue to play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability. 

(With input from Xinhua)