Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday that BRICS countries should work to usher in the second "golden decade" of cooperation.
Xi made the remarks in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum in the southeastern city of Xiamen.
He said going forward, BRICS countries have major tasks to accomplish, which are to grow economies and to strengthen cooperation.
"It is time to set sail when the tide rises," Xi said.
BRICS groups five emerging market countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
China successfully embarks on path of socialism with Chinese features
President Xi Jinping on Sunday said China has successfully embarked on a path of socialism with Chinese features.
He said, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese people "have successfully embarked on a path of socialism with distinctive Chinese features" in close to 40 years of reform and opening up.
BRICS cooperation reaches crucial stage of development
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday that BRICS cooperation has reached a crucial stage of development.
In assessing the performance of BRICS cooperation, it is important to bear two things in mind -- the historical course of global development and evolving international landscape; the historical process of development of BRICS countries, both individually and collectively, Xi said.
Emerging market, developing nations play greater role in int'l affairs
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday that emerging market and developing countries are playing an ever greater role in international affairs.
"We are in a great era of development, transformation and adjustment," Xi said. "The law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak and the zero-sum game are rejected, and peace, development and win-win cooperation have become the shared aspiration of all peoples."
The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will meet at the ninth BRICS summit in Xiamen from Sept. 3 to 5.
An important side-event of the BRICS summit, the forum serves as a platform for business leaders to discuss issues of common concern, build consensus and raise policy suggestions.
Coined by former Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in 2001, the term "BRIC" referred to Brazil, Russia, India and China, four emerging economies with fast growth and great potential.
The BRIC grouping was formally established in 2006. In 2010, South Africa joined the group, and the acronym was changed to BRICS.
BRICS development benefits more than 3 bln people
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday that the development of the BRICS countries has delivered tangible benefits to more than 3 billion people.
The past decade has seen BRICS countries making headway in pursuing common development, Xi said.
In the past decade, combined GDP of the bloc has grown 179 percent, trade increased 94 percent while urban population expanded 28 percent, contributing significantly to stabilizing the global economy and returning it to growth, Xi said.
NDB, Contingent Reserve Arrangement contribute to global economic
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday that the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement have contributed to enhanced global economic governance and the building of an international financial safety net.
They have also provided financing support for infrastructure building and sustainable development of BRICS countries, Xi made the remarks in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum in the southeastern city of Xiamen.
"The past decade has seen BRICS countries advancing results-oriented and mutually beneficial cooperation," Xi said. "Leveraging our respective strengths and converging interests, we have put in place a leaders-driven cooperation framework that covers wide-ranging areas and multiple levels."
Belt and Road Initiative not geopolitical tool
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday the Belt and Road Initiative is not a tool to advance any geopolitical agenda, but a platform for practical cooperation.
It is not a foreign aid scheme, but an initiative for interconnected development which calls for extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, Xi said while delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum scheduled for Sept. 3-4 in the southeastern coastal city of Xiamen.
"I am convinced that the Belt and Road Initiative will serve as a new platform for all countries to achieve win-win cooperation and that it will create new opportunities for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," he said.
China hosted the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May which was attended by 29 heads of state or government and more than 1,600 representatives from more than 140 countries and 80-plus international organizations.
Global economy remains in period of adjustment
The global economy is still not healthy enough and remains in a period of adjustment featuring weak growth, with new growth drivers yet to emerge, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday.
Economic globalization is facing more uncertainties, Xi said, noting that emerging market and developing countries find themselves in a more complex external environment.
"The long road to global peace and development will not be a smooth one," said the president.
More than 700 million people are still living in hunger, tens of millions of people have been displaced and become refugees, while many people, including innocent children, have been killed in conflicts, Xi said.
Meanwhile, the president pointed out that the global economy has resumed growth, with emerging market and developing countries delivering a strong performance.
A new round of technological and industrial revolution is in the making, and reform and innovation are gaining momentum, he said.
"We have enough reason to believe that our world will be a better place," Xi said.
BRICS should build extensive network of partners
Chinese President Xi Jinping said BRICS should promote the "BRICS Plus" approach to build an open and diversified network of development partners.
"We should get more emerging market and developing countries involved in our concerted endeavors for cooperation and mutual benefits," he said, citing a Chinese proverb -- It is easy to break one arrow but hard to break ten arrows bundled together.
Xi said as a cooperation platform with global influence, BRICS cooperation is more than about five countries.
"BRICS places high premium on cooperation with other emerging market and developing countries and have established effective dialogue mechanisms with them," Xi said.
