Beijing is ready to increase cooperation and strengthen solidarity with developing countries alongside BRICS, Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu has stated. Ma took part in a meeting of foreign ministries of BRICS countries on July 20.
"China is ready together with the BRICS states [...] to strengthen solidarity and strengthen cooperation with developing countries and states with emerging markets," the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted him as saying.
According to the Chinese diplomat, Beijing intends to put into practice the important agreements that were reached between the leaders of the BRICS member states. He recalled that China will promote the gradual expansion of this association.
Ma Zhaoxu noted that at the upcoming BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Chinese plan to discuss a number of important issues and will achieve fruitful results in cooperation with the participants of the association. The deputy minister stressed that Beijing intends to increase the level of cooperation with them.
The BRICS summit will be held from August 22 to 24. Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in this event via video link. In person, the Russian delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The expansion of the organization is one of the main issues to be discussed on the summit.
Earlier, it was emphasized by Gwen Ramokgopa, treasurer-general of South Africa's African National Congress (ANC), that BRICS experiences an increase of its influence in the world that could no longer be defied.
"Through joint efforts, BRICS is today a force for progressive change in global affairs and cannot be ignored. It is for this reason that the forthcoming summit in August has attracted so much interest. BRICS can no longer be dismissed as an insignificant form," Gwen Ramokgopa said during the ANC's Progressive Business Forum (PBF).