What are the highlights of the upcoming "BRICS Moment"?,

Starting from the 22nd, as the BRICS leaders meet in South Africa, global governance will be adjusted to the "BRICS moment".

This is the first time in three years that the BRICS summit has returned to offline mode, and it is also the second time in five years that it has entered Africa. The outside world is generally concerned about whether the summit with distinctive African characteristics can achieve "adding bricks" and "adding tiles" - making new breakthroughs in the expansion process and practical cooperation; Can the BRICS countries take this as an opportunity to jointly respond to the complex and changing international situation and inject positive energy into global governance.

Opening up a new chapter for South South cooperation

In the blink of an eye, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has been established for 17 years. From the concept initially created by Goldman Sachs economists, to now becoming the first platform for developing countries to unite and strengthen with non Western countries as the main body, the BRICS is like a vibrant youth, attracting global attention for its leapfrog development.

At present, the BRICS countries represented by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa account for 26% of the global area, 42% of the population, and 25% of the total economy, and have become an important force in promoting global governance. With the increasing popularity of expansion in recent years, the BRICS has a greater potential to surpass the scope of the five countries and regions, and its global influence has been further demonstrated.

This year, the baton of the BRICS cooperation mechanism has been handed over to South Africa. As is well known, Africa is the continent with the most concentrated developing countries, and South Africa, known as the "Rainbow Country", is one of the most influential countries on this continent. The host country is very eager to inject "African characteristics" into the summit and add another rainbow to South South cooperation by promoting the development agenda.

Before the summit, South Africa had sent 70 invitations to global leaders of southern countries, covering all African countries as well as some Asian and Latin American countries, striving to create a grand gathering of developing countries. The theme of the summit is set as "BRICS and Africa: Deepening Partnership, Promoting Mutual Growth, Achieving Sustainable Development, and Strengthening Inclusive Multilateralism.".

Turning to the background of the summit, Wang Lei, director of the BRICS Cooperation Center of Beijing Normal University, pointed out that, first of all, this is the first BRICS offline summit since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic. Compared to face-to-face communication, face-to-face communication between leaders of various countries can more effectively play a leading role and make political decisions.

At the same time, this is also the third time after 5 years that the summit has entered Africa, and the five key areas formulated are closely related to Africa, which is of special significance for deepening cooperation between BRICS countries and Africa.

Secondly, the century long changes in the world are accelerating, and countries have a stronger call for international fairness and justice. The people's desire for development cooperation is becoming more urgent, and the contemporary value of the BRICS spirit is also more prominent.

"Under the great changes, the trend of fragmentation in the international system is intensifying, and there are differences between developed and developing countries in the field of global governance. The United Nations is also unable to push for global measures." Wang Lei said that in this context, the international community expects the BRICS countries to strengthen coordination and cooperation, inject stability and positive energy into the turbulent and intertwined world.

Once again, the unstable and uncertain aspects of the world situation are particularly prominent, especially the potential negative impact of the Ukrainian crisis on BRICS cooperation. During this summit, Russian President Putin will attend in video format, with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov attending on his behalf. Wang Lei believes that the BRICS countries will discuss regional and global hotspots and establish a common position.

Finally, the advancement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development faces difficulties, with tight time and heavy tasks. Against the backdrop of the global development process being impacted, the development gap between the North and the South has further widened, and the food, energy, and debt crises may cause the poverty reduction achievements of the past few decades to be in vain. The BRICS countries must work together to address these challenges.

He Wenping, a researcher at the West Asia and Africa Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that currently, countries in the southern world need to strengthen unity. Due to the weak global recovery at the economic level, many BRICS countries are under pressure for economic growth. The host country South Africa hopes to take advantage of the momentum of BRICS cooperation, gather global governance consensus, and help the African economy recover from the crisis as soon as possible.

At the political level, in the face of certain countries forming cliques and provoking factions to confront each other, the BRICS countries uphold an independent foreign policy and establish a new relationship of partnership and non alignment. They will also use this summit to exchange views on major international issues and issue a loud voice to uphold multilateralism.

"Adding bricks" and "adding tiles"

In terms of highlights, the outside world is generally concerned about whether the BRICS summit can achieve "adding bricks" and how to "add tiles".

The so-called "adding bricks" refers to the problem of expanding staff.

Wang Lei stated that the BRICS mechanism has not expanded its membership for 12 years since it included South Africa as a new member in 2011. Since China assumed the rotating presidency of the BRICS in 2022 and initiated the second round of expansion, about 50 countries have expressed their demands to join the BRICS, with 23 countries submitting formal written applications.

"During this summit, all parties are expected to conduct in-depth discussions on expansion standards, processes, and whether certain countries have 'met' standards. This is related to the long-term development of the BRICS mechanism and how the international community views it," said Wang Lei.

He Wenping believes that the participation of multiple countries fully demonstrates the vitality, influence, and attractiveness of the BRICS mechanism. "Over the past 17 years, the BRICS has established a firm foothold and countered the Western negative rhetoric." He Wenping said, "Countries have added value to the BRICS through practical cooperation."

Whether it is establishing a new development bank and achieving expansion, establishing foreign exchange reserves, or conducting public health cooperation during the epidemic, all have played a huge role in promoting the development of the BRICS countries. More importantly, in the face of the rampant exclusionary and protectionist backlash, BRICS cooperation will not fall into a closed "small circle" and will adhere to openness and cooperation. This has prompted more and more countries to hope to protect their development rights by joining the BRICS.

Another highly concerned issue is "Gava", which refers to how the BRICS can promote pragmatic cooperation.

Wang Lei believes that in the past 17 years, the BRICS has achieved fruitful results in trade and investment, energy and resources, currency and finance, and has continuously strengthened cooperation in supply chain, agriculture and food security, local currency settlement, and other fields in recent years. The summit may focus on the partnership between the BRICS and Africa, the five key areas, the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the construction of the BRICS mechanism.

He Wenping added that the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit will be held next year, and China may also propose some initiatives within the BRICS framework and listen to the opinions of Africa to promote more orderly cooperation with Africa through multilateral coordination. In addition, African countries may also be concerned about the security situation in countries such as Niger and Sudan, as well as issues related to climate change and counter-terrorism.

As for the heated issue of the "common currency of the BRICS countries" for a period of time, Wang Lei believes that some BRICS countries have a strong interest in such financial cooperation. However, South Africa's Asia and BRICS envoy, Sukar, recently stated that the BRICS summit will discuss the establishment of a common currency, but will not seek de dollarization. This statement is thought-provoking. Considering that the majority of BRICS members are still in a weak position in the international financial system, it is expected that although the issue of a common currency will be involved, it will be difficult to achieve significant breakthroughs immediately.

The New Era of China Africa Cooperation

South Africa is China's comprehensive strategic partner, and also the first African country to join the "the Belt and Road" cooperation. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea 25 years ago, the bilateral relationship has achieved leapfrog development, far exceeding the scope of bilateral relations and increasingly having a global impact.

He Wenping said that, especially in recent years, China South relations have always maintained a high level of operation, and inter party exchanges have deepened.

The dialogue will invite African co chairs of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, rotating chairpersons of the African Union, and representatives of African sub regional organizations to attend. All parties will engage in in-depth exchanges around the theme of "assisting African integration and jointly building a high-level community with a shared future between China and Africa".

He Wenping said that the development trajectory of China Africa relations best reflects the imprint of China's diplomacy as a major country with Chinese characteristics, and reflects the characteristic of China's diplomacy based on developing countries.

He Wenping pointed out that Africa is a strong supporter of China, and African countries that signed the "the Belt and Road" cooperation memorandum cover almost the whole continent. It is expected that during this dialogue, all parties will explore areas related to African people's livelihoods and employment, as well as those that meet the needs of Africa's economic transformation and upgrading, and promote the alignment of China's relevant initiatives with Africa's "2063 Vision", so as to elevate cooperation to a higher level.

"After coming out of the COVID-19 epidemic, China's diplomacy has been quite active and active." He Wenping said, "On the one hand, there is the need to develop partnerships, on the other hand, there is also consideration of coping with changes in the external environment. The mechanisms such as SCO and BRICS are cooperation platforms for developing countries that share common interests with China. China needs to consolidate the basic diplomatic platform to shape the situation and adapt to the situation."

Wang Lei stated that China's diplomacy as a major country with Chinese characteristics in the new era has made many important breakthroughs in both ideology and practice. The BRICS is a platform that showcases China's diplomatic style, showcases China's image as a responsible major country, and upholds true multilateralism. China has always adhered to its positioning as a developing country, proposed Chinese initiatives and contributed Chinese wisdom to deepen BRICS unity.We look forward to all parties discussing cooperation and development plans, and making greater contributions to promoting world peace and development.