- President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, with the Director-General, World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India
By Anthony Nwachukwu
To sustain the positive global changes, including the drive towards a multipolar world, and counter the tendencies to unilateralism and power politics, China has unveiled the global development, security, civilisation and governance initiatives, as it prepares to assume leadership of the BRICS Bloc next year.
President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, unveiled the initiatives in his address at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, to address what he described as the growing “deficits in peace, development, security and governance” and build a better world.
Noting the resilience of the Global South in its 20-year history, Xi urged the BRICS members to “stand firmly on the right side of history, strive to be a pioneer of our times, steer the international order in a direction that is more just and equitable, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity.”
According to him, these have been 20 years of “standing together through wind and rain,” of self-reliance and self-strengthening, of upholding independence, actively exploring development paths suited to members’ respective national conditions, and setting a fine example of emerging markets and developing countries seeking strength through unity, and “providing the world with stability and positive energy.”
Reflecting on what he described as BRICS’ 20 years of fruitful outcomes, Xi said the bloc “now has a comprehensive, multifaceted cooperation structure with ever deepening cooperation in trade, investment, finance and technology, among others. It has entered a new stage of high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation.
However, against the identified global deficits, he said BRICS “must stand firmly on the right side of history, strive to be a pioneer of our times, steer the international order in a direction that is more just and equitable, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity.”
Also, to achieve development, he tasked the bloc to pioneer advancements in innovation-driven development, stating that “the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation represented by AI is bringing breakthroughs at a faster pace, shaping the global development landscape.
“We BRICS countries must keep the initiative firmly in our hands, strengthen cooperation in the field of AI, encourage open source, openness, collaboration and sharing, and break new ground and scale new heights in our practical cooperation.
“Not long ago, China, together with various parties, initiated the World AI Cooperation Organisation, and has developed international AI application cooperation centres with BRICS and others, which provide important platforms for closer AI cooperation for the world, particularly Global South countries. We welcome the active participation of BRICS countries.
“Here, I propose the BRICS initiative of AI-empowered new industrialisation. China hopes to work with all parties for more outcomes in R&D and application, and deeper cooperation in industrial and supply chains. Facts will prove that decoupling and cutting off supply chains will not hold back our development process, and espousing ‘small yard, high fences’ will only box oneself in and divide the world.”
For peace and stability, he urged BRICS to be at the forefront in upholding peace and stability, stating that “far from being tranquil, the world today is increasingly fluid and turbulent” as “the post-war international order is being undermined, and the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter are not effectively observed.”
Therefore, “BRICS should stand firm, uphold justice, and strive to put an end to conflicts and defend peace. We should act on the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, oppose the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, and oppose the violation of other countries’ sovereignty or interference in other countries’ internal affairs,” Xi said.
“We should participate constructively in the settlement of hotspot issues, and make BRICS’ unique contribution to addressing both the symptoms and root causes.”
For the Middle East, he insisted on a two-state arrangement, urging de-escalation of conflicts, ending hostilities and promoting peace. He further tasked the relevant parties with a political settlement and a permanent, comprehensive ceasefire, while addressing the problems at the source, rebuilding trust between regional countries, and establishing a new security architecture.
Meanwhile, Xi said BRICS should facilitate mutual learning between civilisations by being “a garden of inclusive coexistence that allows various civilisations to flourish. We should promote the common values of humanity, and advocate exchange, mutual learning and harmonious coexistence between civilisations.
“We should hold the BRICS People-to-People Exchange Forum to share experience on national governance and build up positive energy for stable state-to-state relations.
“We should deepen cooperation in culture, tourism and education, step up exchanges between our youths, and facilitate mutual visits between the people to increase mutual understanding and amity.”
Furthermore, he charged BRICS to pioneer “reforming and improving global governance,” as the “kind of global governance system to build will determine the future of humanity.
Consequently, he said BRICS “should align with the trend toward greater democracy in international relations, work toward a more just and equitable global governance system, uphold the authority of the United Nations, and oppose withdrawal from international organisations and treaties, or creating rival systems.”
Moreover, member countries “should support the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation at its core, advance WTO reform, oppose abuse of tariffs, and reject all forms of protectionist measures.
“We should steer global governance in frontier domains such as cyberspace, outer space and deep sea, and increase the voice of Global South countries.
He assured that China will seize the opportunity of chairing the bloc next year and hosting its 19th summit to build consensus and work with all parties to plan for a future with “bright prospects of shared prosperity and progress.
