BRICS to uphold interests of developing countries: Xi Jinping

FORTALEZA: Confident about China’s growing role in global politics, China’s President Xi Jinping says China will push for the rights of the developing world, and urged other BRICS countries to contribute to international justice and peace.

“The BRICS countries have the need to pursue economic restructuring and innovative development. We also share the desire to safeguard international justice and equity and uphold the common interests of emerging markets and developing countries,“ he said.

“ As long as the BRICS countries continue to build political mutual trust and strategic consensus make our voice heard and propose more solutions, we will contribute more positive energy to world economic growth, better global economic governance and world peace and development”.

In a joint interview to a number of South American media networks, released by China’s Foreign Ministry on July 15, Xi Jinping was candid about China’s aspiration of leading the developing world into a future of equity and justice. He stated that China has committed itself to “perfecting” the role developing countries play in international affairs to give them better representation and a greater say. He added that the new BRICS Bank will capacitate developing countries in their goals of attaining sustainable economic growth.

Through the BRICS Bank, and the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Bank, China will try being a responsible power, and play a constructive role in promoting the rights of the developing world, said Xi.

The BRICS Bank and the Asian Infrastructure bank are expected to have a strong Chinese presence and work parallel to the Western-dominated institutions like the World Bank, and the Japanese-led Asian Development Bank

However, any Chinese aspiration to be the leading voice of the developing world will be challenged by other member of BRICS, especially India, which sees its emphasis on democracy, soft power, and matured neutrality in concerns of global governance as having more weight in global politics than China’s bigger economic clout.

Given the growing unease over Chinese assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific and South China Sea regions, western powers like the United States, as well countries like Japan, Vietnam, and Philippines have raised concerns about China’s intentions.

Xi tried to pacify these concerns by saying: “The Chinese people love peace. In the blood of the Chinese people there are no genes for invading others or dominating the world. China does not acknowledge the old logic of ‘when a country is strong it must dominate’,” he said.

Beijing has previously said that there was enough space for peaceful and mutual growth for a number of regional powers.

“China will resolutely pursue the path of peaceful development, to proactively seek a peaceful international environment for its own development, and will use its own development to promote world peace,” Xi added.

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