By He Yin, People’s Daily
At the beginning of the new year, the BRICS cooperation has made new advances. On Jan. 1, 2025, countries including Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Cuba, Bolivia, and Uganda officially became BRICS partner countries; on Jan. 6, Indonesia became a full member of the BRICS.
The new additions mark the beginning of a new era for greater BRICS cooperation. Serving the common interests of the Global South, the greater BRICS cooperation is bound to make new contributions to the transformation of economic globalization, improvement of global governance, and world peace and development.
BRICS is created by history and is also making history. The BRICS cooperation mechanism came into being amid the collective rise of emerging markets and developing countries, and is gradually evolving into a vital platform for promoting solidarity and cooperation of the Global South.
It has been nearly 20 years since the inception of BRICS. Today, the BRICS countries account for almost half of the global population, over 30 percent of the global GDP, and contribute over 50 percent to global economic growth. It has become a positive and stable force for good in international affairs. The continuous enlargement of the BRICS family also demonstrates the greater appeal and influence of the BRICS cooperation mechanism.
It is for the shared pursuit and for the overarching trend of peace and development that BRICS countries have come together. Since its inception, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has closely related its future to the fortunes of the Global South. BRICS countries have always been committed to multilateralism, fairness and justice, and common development.
In light of the historical trend of the collective rise of the Global South, BRICS countries are working to build the cooperation mechanism into a vital platform for promoting solidarity and cooperation among the Global South countries and a major force driving the reform of the global governance system.
An article published on the website of the Brazilian magazine Forum pointed out that BRICS countries led global economic growth in 2024, further shifting the center of gravity of the world’s economy to the Global South.
The grand vision of greater BRICS cooperation features not only the advancement of the BRICS cooperation mechanism itself but also the joint progress of BRICS countries and the Global South.
As the BRICS family grows bigger and stronger, there have been some doubts and concerns in the international public opinion about the BRICS cooperation. These voices mainly stem from the biases against the BRICS cooperation mechanism.
In the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, the BRICS cooperation mechanism does not engage in bloc confrontation or target any third party. It strives for peaceful development and common security, aims to promote common development and shared prosperity. The rise of the Global South represented by BRICS countries will help promote global multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations, thereby working for a more just and equitable international order.
As a scholar observed, BRICS countries and Global South countries are non-Western, but not anti-Western. It is necessary for all countries to view the BRICS cooperation mechanism from an open, positive and long-term perspective, strengthen cooperation with BRICS countries to jointly address global challenges, expand the architecture of peace and development, and enhance the common wellbeing of all humanity.
China’s contributions to BRICS cooperation
As an advocate for BRICS cooperation, China has always been committed to making deeper and more substantive advances in BRICS cooperation and promoting the solidarity and invigoration of the Global South.
China has announced to build a BRICS committed to peace, innovation, green development, justice and closer people-to-people exchanges, and called on BRICS countries to act as defenders of common security, pioneers of high-quality development, promoters of sustainable development, forerunners in reforming global governance and advocates for harmonious coexistence among all civilizations.
These efforts have set the course for building the BRICS into a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and into a vanguard for advancing global governance reform.
The high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation will continuously expand the force for world peace and development. Moving forward, China stands ready to work with all BRICS countries to embrace the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, and advance the high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation. By jointly advocating an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, BRICS countries will make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
