Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on "BRICS Plus" countries to strive for common security, common development and harmony among civilizations.
Xi made the remarks while addressing the "BRICS Plus" leaders' dialogue held during the 16th BRICS Summit in the Russian city of Kazan.
Noting that the collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world, Xi said that Global South countries marching together toward modernization is monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilization.
However, he pointed out that peace and development still faces severe challenges and the road to prosperity for the Global South will not be straight forward, urging "BRICS Plus" countries to use collective wisdom and strength and stand up to their responsibilities in building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Xi said that "BRICS Plus" countries should uphold peace and strive for common security, come forward together to form a stabilizing force for peace, strengthen global security governance, and explore solutions to address both the symptoms and root causes of hotspot issues.
He said that many parties have warmly responded to the Global Security Initiative he proposed, saying that prominent progress has been made in maintaining regional stability, adding that China and Brazil jointly issued the six-point consensus and launched the group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis together with other Global South countries.
Xi also called on "BRICS Plus" countries to promote early deescalation to pave the way for a political settlement.
He also noted that Palestinian factions reconciled with each other in Beijing in July, marking a key step toward peace in the Middle East, he noted.
"We should continue to promote a comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and revive the two-state solution. We must stop the flames of war from spreading in Lebanon and end the miserable suffering in Palestine and Lebanon," Xi stressed. Noting that the Global South emerges for development and prospers through development, Xi said that "BRICS Plus" countries should reinvigorate development and strive for common prosperity, be the main driving force for common development, play an active and leading role in the global economic governance reform, and make development the core of the international economic and trade agenda.
He said that since its introduction three years ago, the Global Development Initiative has helped make available nearly 20 billion U.S. dollars of development funds and launch more than 1,100 projects, while the Global Alliance on Artificial Intelligence for Industry and Manufacturing Center of Excellence has been recently established in Shanghai.
China will build a World Smart Customs Community Portal and a BRICS Customs Center of Excellence, he noted, adding that China welcomes active participation by all countries.
Stressing that diversity of civilization is the innate quality of the world, Xi called on "BRICS Plus" countries to promote together development of all civilizations and strive for harmony among them, be advocates for exchanges among civilizations, enhance communication and dialogue, and support each other in taking the path to modernization suited to their respective national conditions.
He noted that the Global Civilization Initiative he proposed is exactly for the purpose of building a garden of world civilizations "in which we can share and admire the beauty of each civilization", adding that China will coordinate with others to form a Global South Think Tanks Alliance to promote people-to-people exchanges and experience-sharing in governance.
Xi stressed that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made systemic plans for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization, which will provide more opportunities for the world.
Xi noted the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was successfully held last month in Beijing, where 10 partnership actions for China and Africa to jointly advance modernization were announced which he said will instill new energy for the Global South on its way toward modernization.
Xi also said that no matter how the international landscape evolves, "we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South."
China supports more Global South countries in joining the cause of BRICS as full members, partner countries or in the "BRICS Plus" format so that the great strength of the Global South can be combined to build a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.
The meeting was chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin and attended by Xi, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and representatives from Brazil, India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia, 25 leaders or representatives of guest countries, as well as six heads of international organizations including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff.
Xi on Wednesday attended a welcome banquet hosted by Putin for leaders of BRICS member states and guest countries at the summit.
Xi urges "BRICS Plus" to pursue common security, development, harmony among civilizations
