Amid Ukraine war, Xi to host Brics meet on June 23
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping will host the 14th Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit in Beijing on June 23 via video link, the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and their counterparts from Brazil and South Africa, are expected to take part in the summit, which will be held in the backdrop of Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic. China is expected to push its agenda to expand the bloc at the summit, a move Beijing has termed as “Brics plus”, in the long-run.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the summit will be held in virtual format under the theme of “Foster High-quality Brics Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development”.
Xi will also attend the opening ceremony of the Brics Business Forum in virtual format and deliver a keynote speech on June 22, Hua said in a statement.
Brics leaders are also expected to attend the Forum.
The Chinese President will chair the High-level Dialogue on Global Development in Beijing on June 24, Hua added.
Speaking on the summit, ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China, which is this year’s Brics chair, has held over 70 meetings and events so far this year, covering political, security, trade, financial, P2P and cultural fields as well as sustainable development and public health.
“Brics have stood the test of changing the international landscape and have become an important force to be reckoned with on the international stage. As the world faces drastic changes and a pandemic both unseen in (this) century, it enters a new period of volatility and transformation,” Wang told a regular ministry briefing.