Xi's trip to BRICS summit marks new chapter of unity, development for Global South: Chinese FM

China

Xi's trip to BRICS summit marks new chapter of unity, development for Global South: Chinese FM

2024-10-26 21:09 Last Updated At：23:37

Chinese President Xi Jinping's trip to the 16th BRICS Summit has marked a new chapter of solidarity and self-strengthening of BRICS nations, and opened up new prospects for development and prosperity of the Global South, Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said.

China, Wang said after Xi's trip to the Russian city of Kazan, has once again played a vital role as a driving force of BRICS cooperation as well as a core member of the Global South.

During the summit, Xi elaborated on the direction and fundamental principles of greater BRICS cooperation, emphasized that BRICS nations were gathering for their shared pursuit, and called for joint efforts to build BRICS into a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Xi pointed out that BRICS countries should build a BRICS committed to peace, innovation, green development, justice, and closer people-to-people exchanges, and act as defenders of common security, pioneers of high-quality development, promoters of sustainable development, forerunners in reforming global governance, advocates for harmonious coexistence among all civilizations, and announced eight pragmatic measures to support the high-quality development of BRICS cooperation, Wang said.

Noting that a consensus was reached to invite a new group of countries to become BRICS partner nations at the Kazan Summit, Wang said the BRICS mechanism is fundamentally different from the cliques characterized by rigid Cold War mentalities and bloc confrontations, and it is certain to inject strong momentum into achieving an equal and orderly multipolar world as well as a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

The collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world, Wang said, adding that as Xi said in Kazan, the Global South countries marching together toward modernization is monumental in world history, yet the road to prosperity for the Global South will not be straight.

Xi called on BRICS countries, who stand at the forefront of the Global South, to use collective wisdom and strength to uphold peace and come forward together to form a stabilizing force for peace, reinvigorate development and make themselves the main driving force for common development, and to promote together the development of all civilizations and be advocates for exchanges among civilizations, Wang noted.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Wang said, noting that during the meeting between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two heads of state believed that China and Russia have found the right way to get along with each other, which features non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party. The global community has paid extensive attention to Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bilateral meeting, their first formal one in five years, Wang said.

During the meeting, Xi urged the two countries to maintain a sound strategic perception of each other, work together to find the right and bright path for big, neighboring countries to live in harmony and develop side by side, facilitate each other's pursuit of development aspirations, and set an example in boosting the strength and unity of developing countries, Wang said.

He added that the two leaders also agreed to work together to ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas and bring the relationship back to sound and steady development at an early date.

Vibrant activities at Wuzhen Theatre Festival highlight charm of performance arts

2024-10-26 22:31 Last Updated At：23:07

The 11th Wuzhen Theatre Festival is underway in east China's famous water-town, gathering global artists to celebrate the art of performance and have cultural exchanges amidst the stunning backdrop of ancient canals and alleys.

The grand event opened on Oct 17 in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province, under the theme of "solidity." The 11-day festival is divided into six sections - specially invited plays, outdoor carnival, emerging theatre artists' competition, Wuzhen dialogues, drama fair and granary reverie.

The dazzling ancient town carnival offers visitors more than 2,000 outdoor theatrical performances, including puppet shows, mimes and magic shows. At the same time, there is an installation art exhibition brought by the China Academy of Fine Arts on the Xishi River flowing through the water town.

This year, the Wuzhen Theatre Festival features 24 specially invited plays from 11 countries, five of which were performed for the first time in the world. The highly-anticipated dramas include "We Are Leaving" brought by Polish Nowy Teatr, "En attendant Godot" produced by Chinese director Meng Jinghui, and "River/Cloud" of Stan Lai Shengchuan, an American-born Chinese theatre director.

A total of 11 stages have been set up in the Wuzhen scenic area, some of which were built in the open air or near the water, for the specially invited plays, providing an impressive experience for the audience.

The emerging theatre artists' competition, previously known as the "Youth Competition," is also a major part of the festival, with the purpose of establishing a platform on which promising young artists can develop original works.

Another eye-catching event at the festival is the long street banquet, where theatre producers and media workers from all over the world sit around hundreds of square tables that are laid end to end without a gap along the ancient street. Enjoying the antique architectures and local cuisine, the participants can easily but deeply communicate across language barriers and cultural differences in a convivial atmosphere.

The entire town of Wuzhen, which has a history of more than 1,300 years, is transformed into a stage, and theatre lovers all over the world are invited to enjoy this tantalizing feast of the theatrical arts.

"Artists from across the world are gathering here sharing their passions in such a lovely night in Wuzhen. What everyone can feel is a unique lifestyle blending the tenderness of an ancient town where streams meander tranquilly under slender arches with contemporary arts mirroring our era. I think everyone can sense the aspiration for a beautiful life here. We pursue beauty and compassion, hope to explore the world in an artistic way, and also hope to demonstrate to the the whole world the glamor of our times," said Huang Lei, executive director of Wuzhen Theatre Festival.