The historic expansion of the BRICS has made its "golden signboard" shine brighter - International insiders are optimistic about the future prospects and mechanisms of BRICS cooperation | BRICS | International

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 24th - The historic expansion of the BRICS has made its "golden signboard" shine brighter - International insiders are optimistic about the future prospects of BRICS cooperation

Xinhua News Agency reporter

The door of the Golden Bricks will be opened with six new members who share the same aspirations. On the 24th, the 15th special press conference of BRICS leaders announced that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Iran, and Ethiopia were officially invited to become members of the BRICS family, and their membership will take effect on January 1, 2024.

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, people from multiple countries stated that the current BRICS cooperation is at a critical stage of building on the past and opening up the future. This historic expansion fully demonstrates the strong vitality and appeal of the BRICS "golden signboard", highlighting the accelerated evolution of the century long changes. The firm determination of BRICS countries to unite and cooperate with developing countries, defend international fairness and justice, and practice true multilateralism is in line with the expectations of the international community, in line with the common interests of emerging market countries and developing countries, and is conducive to issuing a louder "BRICS voice" in the world, further strengthening the power of world peace and development.

Highlighting the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation in the BRICS

The BRICS cooperation mechanism has gone through 17 years of ups and downs. Looking back on the past, the BRICS countries have adhered to the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation, and have made gratifying progress in various fields such as politics, economy, and cultural exchanges. They have written wonderful stories of countries from different systems, cultures, and regions working together to develop, becoming a golden signboard for South cooperation. More and more countries around the world hope to open the door of the BRICS and participate in BRICS cooperation. Today, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has decided to introduce fresh blood, achieve development and growth, and take BRICS cooperation to a new starting point.

According to Sebastian Schultz, a researcher at the Center for Chinese Studies at the National University of La Plata in Argentina, BRICS cooperation has achieved good results based on the principle of equality and mutual benefit, which is the reason why many developing countries are attracted to this mechanism. Schultz said that after the 2008 global financial crisis, the BRICS countries have gradually become the engine of global economic recovery and an important pillar of global economic growth. This BRICS expansion is enough to demonstrate everyone's optimism about the prospects of this mechanism.

Abdul Satar Eshra, Secretary General of the Egypt China Business Council, stated that expanding the membership can enhance the strength and effectiveness of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, help achieve greater and faster development, and create more opportunities for members to engage in joint cooperation in various fields, improving their ability to respond to challenges.

"Iran has historically joined the BRICS. Congratulations to Iran," Mohammad Jamhidi, Deputy Director of Political Affairs in the Office of the President of Iran, posted on social media. Iranian international expert Jafar Kanad Bashi believes that joining the BRICS family will better connect Iran with the world economy and lay an important political and economic foundation for Iran's development.

Felipe Porto, a researcher at the Foreign Policy Observatory of ABC Federal University in Brazil, pointed out that the BRICS countries have now become an important platform in the field of international politics. Although the members of the BRICS Cooperation Mechanism have different national conditions, the spirit of win-win cooperation has kept this mechanism dynamic and attracted the attention of more countries. This expansion is a concrete manifestation.

Wang Youming, Director of the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Academy of International Studies, said that the accession of six countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America to the BRICS cooperation mechanism reflects the balance between regional balance and global representativeness of the mechanism, highlighting the openness and inclusiveness of the BRICS cooperation mechanism.

Gathering wisdom and strength to produce a louder "BRICS sound"

In today's era, the collective rise of emerging market countries and developing countries represented by the BRICS countries is fundamentally changing the world map. The BRICS countries have always upheld international fairness and justice, presided over justice on major international and regional issues, and enhanced the voice and influence of emerging market countries and developing countries. Now, with the historic expansion of the BRICS family and the collective wisdom and strength, it will be able to make a louder "BRICS voice", promote global governance change towards a more just and reasonable direction, and inject more certainty, stability, and positive energy into the world.

"The BRICS countries represent emerging market and developing countries, and expanding their membership meets the expectations of most developing countries," said Fernando Vanacuni, former Bolivian Foreign Minister, in a shared voice. He said that for emerging market countries and developing countries, joining the BRICS cooperation mechanism can seek common development while defending national sovereignty and economic independence, and join the wave of globalization with equality and dignity.

Meraku Muroualem, Senior Researcher in International Relations and Foreign Affairs at the Ethiopian Institute of Strategic Studies, believes that the BRICS Cooperation Mechanism plays a crucial role in raising the voices of southern countries worldwide, helping to promote South South cooperation and achieve more equitable global governance.

"The BRICS mechanism has introduced a new global governance model." Saudi international expert Ahmad Ibrahim believes that this has a strong centripetal force on emerging market countries and developing countries, leading to the continuous development and growth of the BRICS cooperation mechanism.

Banbang Suryono, Chairman of the Asian Innovation Research Center, a think tank in Indonesia, and Chairman of the ASEAN Southeast Asia Foundation, pointed out that the world is diverse and multipolar, and global power is rebalancing. The old global governance methods cannot cope with the new international situation, and multilateral institutions and cooperative organizations built through equality, mutual respect, and consultation can adapt to the development of the times. The BRICS cooperation mechanism based on principles of openness, transparency, inclusiveness, and non discrimination meets the needs of developing countries and enhances their voice in global governance.

Further strengthen the power of world peace and development

Many people believe that the BRICS countries practice true multilateralism, adhere to maintaining the international system with the United Nations at its core, support and strengthen the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and oppose decoupling and economic coercion. This expansion of the BRICS will further strengthen the power of world peace and development.

Kenneth Kremer, the economic advisor to the President of South Africa, reviewed the history of the Non Aligned Movement when discussing the expansion of BRICS membership. He said that with the rise of the Non Aligned Movement, many countries in the global South are seeking to unite and strive to establish a more just and inclusive international order. "The BRICS cooperation mechanism seems to be inspiring many countries to come together again to advance this vision."

Andrei Gubin, Associate Professor of International Relations at the Far Eastern Federal University of Russia, believes that the expansion of the BRICS proves that the world has a huge demand for more fair and just multilateral cooperation mechanisms. In his view, the notable feature of the BRICS cooperation mechanism is its emphasis on social and economic development, improvement of human capital, promotion of technological progress, and benefiting all humanity. This aligns with the common pursuit of many countries.

"At the round table of the BRICS family, there are developing countries of different ethnicities, languages, and civilizations, working together to establish an international order that is equal, harmonious, non-interference in domestic affairs, and respects their respective development models. This future oriented international order will enable countries around the world, especially developing countries, to achieve faster and higher quality development." Schultz, a researcher at the China Research Center at the National University of La Plata in Argentina, hopes that the expansion of the BRICS will enable more developing countries to no longer be passive participants in the international order, but to become builders of the international order.

Saudi international expert Ibrahim believes that under the promotion of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, the power of emerging market countries and developing countries will continue to grow, which will effectively promote the development of the world's multipolarity trend, effectively resist the unilateralism and hegemonic actions of some countries, and play a positive role in maintaining world peace and stability and promoting global prosperity and development.

The African proverb goes: Walking alone is fast, but walking together is far. Taking the historic expansion of the BRICS as a new starting point, there is great potential for BRICS cooperation. BRICS countries have a promising future and will work together to write a new chapter of unity and cooperation for development between emerging market countries and developing countries.