China wants deeper BRICS ties during presidency

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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday called on BRICS countries, namely, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, to deepen their partnership for a brighter future.

Xi made the call in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Jacob Zuma, Brazilian President Michel Temer and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to brief the leaders on China's blueprint for promoting BRICS cooperation during China's presidency over the bloc in 2017.

Leaders of the five BRICS countries pose ahead of an informal dinner during the BRICS summit in Goa on October 15, 2016. /CFP Photo

China will host the ninth BRICS leaders' summit in Xiamen, a coastal city in southeastern China's Fujian Province, in September.

Over the past decade, BRICS countries have made joint efforts to yield fruits in cooperating on politics, economy and people-to-people exchanges, Xi said.

BRICS countries have also made great strides in their leaders' summits, which has injected new dynamism into their cooperation, he added.

"The BRICS cooperation, a model for cooperation among emerging markets and that among developing countries, has brought benefits to people of BRICS nations and made great contributions to boosting global economic growth, improving global governance and promoting the democratization of international relations."

- - Xi Jinping, China's president

In the second decade for BRICS cooperation starting in 2017, BRICS nations will make greater progress in their cooperation and play a bigger role in international affairs, the Chinese president said.

Foreign delegates at the first ever BRICS Trade Fair on October 12, 2016 in New Delhi, India. /CFP Photo

Facing growing uncertainties and instabilities in international situation, BRICS countries need to enhance solidarity and cooperation and safeguard common interests, he said.

Xi said the Xiamen summit will focus on four aspects – deepening pragmatic cooperation for common development; enhancing global governance to jointly counter challenges; carrying out people-to-people exchanges to consolidate public support for cooperation; and promoting mechanism-building to construct broader partnership.

"In accordance with an open, inclusive and win-win BRICS spirit, China will work with other BRICS countries to make the Xiamen summit a success and move forward BRICS cooperation to a new level."

- - Xi Jinping

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The BRIC cooperative mechanism was established in 2006. The first BRIC summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. South Africa was admitted by the other BRIC leaders in 2010, adding the "S" to the original grouping. Eight BRICS summits have taken place so far.