China Issues Call for Global Cooperation
and an End to Global Competition
Global Times – Xinhua
(June 25, 2022) — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech laid out the aspirations of developing countries, charted a clear course for the reform of the global governance system and gathered strength for global economic recovery, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters Friday night.
Wang’s comment came after Xi chaired and attended a series of BRICS-related meetings from Wednesday to Friday.
This is the most important diplomatic event that China hosted before the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China later this year. It is of great significance for jointly safeguarding international justice, revitalizing the cause of global development, and pushing forward the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Wang said.
Xi attended the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum virtually on Wednesday and delivered a keynote speech. Xi hosted the 14th BRICS Summit and the High-level Dialogue on Global Development in Beijing via video link, respectively on Thursday and Friday.
At the summit, Xi said that “Our world today is overshadowed by the dark clouds of Cold War mentality and power politics, and beset by constantly emerging traditional and non-traditional security threats. Some countries attempt to expand military alliances to seek absolute security, stoke bloc-based confrontation by coercing other countries into picking sides, and pursue unilateral dominance at the expense of others’ rights and interests. If such dangerous trends are allowed to continue, the world will witness even more turbulence and insecurity.”
“It is important that BRICS countries support each other on issues concerning core interests, practice true multilateralism, safeguard justice, fairness and solidarity and reject hegemony, bullying and division,” he said.
President Xi said the BRICS countries should advocate true multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the UN at the core as well as the international order based on international law, abandon Cold War mentality and oppose unilateral sanction, according to Wang.
Xi also noted in his speech that the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis has resulted in disruptions to global industrial and supply chains, sustained hikes of commodity prices, and weaker international monetary and financial systems.
All these have cast shadows over development worldwide, and emerging markets and developing countries bear the brunt. But just as a crisis may bring chaos, it can also spur change. A lot will depend on how we handle the crisis.
Xi called on efforts to boost connectivity of industrial and supply chains and jointly meet challenges in poverty reduction, agriculture, energy, logistics and other fields.
“We should support greater development of the New Development Bank and a steady process to admit new members, and improve the Contingent Reserve Arrangement to cement the BRICS financial safety net and firewall. We should also expand BRICS cooperation on cross-border payment and credit rating to facilitate trade, investment and financing among our countries,” Xi said.
President Xi Jinping’s speech is clear-cut and powerful, expressing the common aspiration of developing countries to love peace and tranquility and oppose hegemony and power, and uttered the voice of justice and peace, Wang said.
At the High-level Dialogue on Global Development, President Xi said it is important that we put development front and center on the international agenda, and deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Wang said.
He pointed out that the North and the South need to work in the same direction to forge a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership and in this process, no country or individual should be left behind, Wang said.
Apart from the BRICS countries, leaders of G20 rotating chair Indonesia, APEC rotating chair Thailand, ASEAN rotating chair Cambodia, Egypt, Iran and other emerging economies and developing countries also joined the dialogue, demonstrating its wide representation and international influence, Wang noted.
President Xi called for efforts to steer globalization toward healthy development, increase the representation of emerging markets and developing economies in global economic governance, Wang said.
He urged the major developed economies to take responsible economic policies to avoid negative spillover effects of their policies and to prevent severe shocks for developing countries, according to Wang.
The BRICS countries, accounting for 42 percent of the world population and 25 percent of global economy, represent the trend of the collective rise of major developing countries, Wang said.
The BRICS mechanism has become the most influential South-South cooperation platform, Wang said, adding that President Xi said BRICS membership should be expanded to allow like-minded partners to join at an early date.
The G7 Summit Should Read the
BRICS Beijing Declaration Carefully
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202206/1268977.shtml
(June 24, 2022) — The 14th BRICS Summit held on June 23 and 24 issued the Beijing Declaration, in which BRICS countries reiterate their commitment to multilateralism, emphasize that global governance should be made more inclusive, representative and participatory, and vow to uphold international law and the central role of the United Nations in the international system.
The Declaration also urges major developed countries to adopt responsible economic policies while managing policy spillovers to avoid severe impacts on developing countries. When the world’s development has entered a new period of turbulent changes, the issuance of the Beijing Declaration is of special significance.
Unsurprisingly, the successful BRICS Summit with China holding the rotating presidency has sparked some twisted interpretations in the US and Western public opinion. It’s worth noting that their main attention has been paid to driving a wedge among BRICS countries.
In particular, they did a lot of work trying to stir India up. It is very likely that the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the pandemic have made them think they could have a chance to sow discord among BRICS countries. However, BRICS states haven’t gone ahead as they designed, let alone to be misled or divided.
The Beijing Declaration that represents the consensus of the BRICS countries is the clearest proof. The document mentioned “development” 89 times and “cooperation” 105 times. As Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out in his important speech, “BRICS countries gather not in a closed club or an exclusive circle, but a big family of mutual support and a partnership for win-win cooperation.”
The messages conveyed by the BRICS Summit is worthy of careful reading by the international community, especially the US and Western countries. If they do so, it is believed that it will deepen and enhance their understanding of the BRICS countries, the emerging markets represented by the BRICS group, as well as the developing nations, and to correct their prejudices. It’s a process in which the Western world and non-Western world strengthen communication rather than confrontation.
Coincidentally, at approximately the same time as the BRICS Summit, Western countries will convene three important summits in succession, namely the EU Summit, the G7 Summit and the NATO Summit. The latter two attended and led by the US stand particularly in stark contrast to the BRICS Summit. We can see two distinct global governance propositions.
The US and the West are forming small circles, building walls and establishing hierarchical camps, while emerging and developing countries are actively advocating the practice of genuine multilateralism, openness and inclusiveness, as well as cooperation and win-win results. An old-fashioned proposition is in a tug-of-war with a new suggestion, and the future destiny of mankind depends to a large extent on the outcome of this historic race.
The BRICS mechanism that upholds the spirit of “openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation” is true multilateralism. The five BRICS countries come from all over the world, and the “BRICS Plus” cooperation also includes the APEC and G20 host countries this year.
The BRICS mechanism covers a wide range of views on international affairs of countries in different regions and different stages of development. It is worth mentioning that the BRICS countries have established a consultation mechanism on the Middle East issue.
The Beijing Declaration also comes up with constructive solutions to issues including Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea, which have been widely recognized by regional countries.
Today, the US also claims that it engages in “multilateralism.” But in the mechanisms established by the US, although it seems that there are many parties involved, the US is the only dominant force. Relying on its strength and position, the US totally dominates the formulation of institutional rules, and the US’ rules are the paramount rules in its small circle.
Some US media claimed that the G7 Summit and NATO Summit this time will form “unprecedented unity” on “major challenges,” and safeguard “the US-centered Western democratic camp.” These words seem to bring people back to the Cold War era.
It is not surprising that in the US and Western public opinion, some narrow-mindedly believe that the BRICS mechanism wants to create an “anti-US alliance.” This is not only a deliberate trap of wording, but is also creating an “imaginary enemy.” In order to maintain absolute obedience within the small circle, the US inevitably needs to constantly seek and create enemies.
However, as it increasingly deviates from global common interests, the small circle’s ability to dominate international issues will inevitably continue to decline. The rest of the world will view these dangerous small circles with anxiety.
The world has once again come to the crossroads. Peace or war? Development or decline? Opening up or closing? Cooperation or confrontation? These questions are thought-provoking. For a turbulent world full of challenges, the BRICS Summit is a surprise.
We hope that the upcoming G7 Summit and NATO Summit will not startle the world. We have a suggestion: The G7 Summit may just as well carefully read the 14th BRICS Summit Beijing Declaration, and it will definitely be rewarding.
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