Xi Jinping: BRICS countries need to act with a sense of responsibility and bring positive, stabilizing and constructive strength to the world

BEIJING - On the evening of June 23, President Xi Jinping hosted the 14th BRICS Summit in Beijing via video link.

President Xi noted that over the past year, the world has faced the continued spread of COVID-19, a tortuous world economic recovery and increasingly salient peace and security issues. Facing the formidable and complex circumstances, BRICS countries have embraced the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, enhanced solidarity and coordination and jointly tackled the challenges. The BRICS mechanism has demonstrated resilience and vitality. BRICS cooperation has achieved sound progress and results.

President Xi stressed that this Summit is held at a critical juncture in the shaping of the future course of humanity. BRICS countries, as important emerging markets and major developing countries, need to act with a sense of responsibility to bring positive, stabilizing and constructive strength to the world.

President Xi said that first, we need to speak out for equity and justice. We need to encourage the international community to practice true multilateralism and uphold the international system with the UN at its core and the international order underpinned by international law, and urge the world to reject the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, oppose unilateral sanctions and abuse of sanctions, and reject the small circles built around hegemonism by forming one big family belonging to a community with a shared future for humanity.

Second, we need to remain firm in our conviction that we will defeat the pandemic and act responsibly to protect our peoples and their lives. We need to build a strong line of defense against the virus, enhance international COVID response cooperation, and jointly defend people's lives and health.

Third, we need to pool strength for economic recovery, step up macro policy coordination, keep industrial and supply chains secure and unclogged, build an open world economy, and forestall and defuse major risks and challenges in global development, to work for more inclusive and resilient economic growth.

Fourth, we need to advocate sustainable and people-centered development, invest more in poverty alleviation, food, education, health and so on, and promote the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to bring stronger, greener and healthier global development.

President Xi said he looks forward to an in-depth and vibrant discussion under the theme of "Fostering High-quality Partnership and Ushering in a New Era of Global Development" to jointly contribute wisdom and ideas to the high-quality development of BRICS cooperation.