With its inclusive and cooperative framework tailored to the needs of emerging economies, as a Xinhua-affiliated think tank has argued, BRICS stands apart to add collective momentum to the progress of the Global South, which seeks fairer development opportunities, Xinhua reports.
In a report titled "BRICS Cooperation: Advancing the Collective Progress of the Global South," the Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, offers a thorough overview of the evolution of BRICS cooperation, systematically highlighting its major accomplishments and contemporary significance.
It presents a meaningful path for countries of the Global South to pursue shared prosperity in an increasingly complex international environment, and underscores the strong sense of responsibility and leadership shown by BRICS nations as frontrunners of the Global South.
By amplifying the voices of the countries long marginalized in global decision-making, BRICS has taken on the role of a stabilizing force in an increasingly fractured world.
The expansion of BRICS marks a qualitative leap in its representativeness and influence. In January this year, Indonesia, the largest economy in ASEAN, officially joined BRICS. Today, BRICS countries account for over half of the world's population, nearly 30 percent of global GDP, and more than 50 percent of global economic growth. This signifies a historic shift of Global South power from the periphery to the center of the international arena.
A high-speed electrical multiple unit (EMU) train enters the Padalarang Station along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) in Padalarang, Indonesia, Oct. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)
A greater BRICS, with enhanced appeal, stronger representativeness and broader geographic reach, is reshaping the global political and economic landscape. The growing diversity of BRICS further underscores its commitment to inclusiveness and its role as a true representative of the Global South.
Greater BRICS cooperation has highlighted the development priorities of emerging economies and fostered dialogue on equal footing. It reflects the growing consensus that effective multilateral solutions must involve a broader range of voices, especially those previously excluded from global governance.
In practice, BRICS has offered a hopeful and practical development model for developing countries through initiatives focused on infrastructure investment, technology transfer and financial integration. For Global South members grappling with infrastructure challenges, food insecurity and climate vulnerabilities, BRICS offers much-needed support which has otherwise been scant.
More importantly, BRICS speaks with one collective voice for fairness and justice in global governance. It advocates shared progress, mutual respect and sovereign equality, while firmly opposing exclusive "small blocs."
The BRICS countries are committed to practicing true multilateralism, upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core, as well as supporting and strengthening the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its center.
Within platforms like the United Nations and G20, BRICS countries have strengthened policy communication, coordinated positions and constructively advanced the reform of the global governance system. This has significantly enhanced the voice of developing countries, their agenda-setting power and their influence on international rule-making.
In an ever evolving international landscape, BRICS's focus on consensus-building and practical cooperation continues to inject more justice, fairness and predictability into the international economic and political order.
At heart, BRICS champions a more equitable world, where inclusive development replaces exclusion, and collective voices outweigh singular dominance in shaping humanity's trajectory.
