How China drives BRICS expansion and cooperation

At the 18th BRICS Summit to be held in New Delhi, India, this upcoming weekend, BRICS has taken on a new meaning. The summit’s theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," also abbreviated as BRICS, highlights the priorities of the organization's new phase of development.

From five countries to 11 members, and from a small group of emerging economies to a platform representing half of the world's population, BRICS has come a long way.

Accounting for 40% of global GDP and with intra-BRICS trade reaching $1.17 trillion in 2024, BRICS has gained considerable weight as it evolves into an increasingly important force in global economics and governance.

China's contribution to BRICS expansion

China has been at the heart of this evolution, especially in promoting inclusiveness and cooperation in BRICS.

At the 2017 Xiamen Summit, China first put forward the "BRICS plus" model, seeking to expand BRICS cooperation to a wider range of emerging economies and amplify the voice of the Global South. Inviting leaders from Egypt, Guinea, Mexico, Tajikistan and Thailand to the summit during its chairmanship, China took the lead in building an open and diversified network of partnerships to boost cooperation on a broader scale.

That proposal soon translated into the membership expansion process. Since then, six new countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, have become full members of the organization, culminating in the "Greater BRICS" and a new phase of development that features an enlarged circle of friends.

Following through with its proposal, China has consistently supported BRICS expansion throughout the years. In 2024, BRICS formally established the partner country mechanism, creating a pathway for countries to engage more closely with the bloc without immediately becoming full members. Reaffirming its commitment to an open and inclusive BRICS, China has continued to support more countries in joining the BRICS mechanism, pool the strength of the Global South and build a shared future.

Through its expansion, BRICS will not only help strengthen solidarity and cooperation among developing countries but also enable them to jointly address global economic risks and achieve more stable development, according to a study by Xi Manzhao, a teaching assistant at the School of Northeast Asian Studies, Shandong University, and Yang Yanlong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Studies, Shandong University.

China's solution to global challenges

BRICS's growth is made meaningful through practical measures. To this end, China has also proposed original solutions to common global challenges.

For instance, China has led the establishment of multiple collaborative centers. The China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence Development and Cooperation Center aims to make AI more accessible and affordable for businesses and local governments to solve real, local problems. The BRICS Deep-Sea Resources International Research Center pools research strengths from BRICS nations to tackle resource scarcity and promote equitable, sustainable ocean development. Meanwhile, the China Center for Cooperation on Development of Special Economic Zones in BRICS Countries boosts trade collaboration, policy exchange, and institutional innovation among BRICS nations and emerging markets.

China's contribution not only establishes practical cooperation platforms but also sets up financial mechanisms.

As a founding member of the New Development Bank (NDB), China helped establish a multilateral development bank that provides financing for infrastructure and sustainable development projects. China also pushed for consensus on the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), which offers mutual liquidity support and protection from short-term payment pressures, according to a United Nations Trade and Development report.

As BRICS enters a new era with more members and opportunities, China has helped turn the bloc's vision into concrete platforms and mechanisms to address shared development challenges.

Ezzat Saad El Sayed, director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, highlighted China's vital role at the 2025 BRICS summit.

"We cannot imagine what BRICS would look like without China,” he said. “China is a major pillar and a powerful driving force behind BRICS cooperation."