BRICS will be the geopolitical rival of G7
(Baonghean.vn) - China will call on BRICS members to protect the economic interests of developing countries and be an open political force to counterbalance the West.
TASS news agency quoted a Financial Times report saying that at the BRICS Summit in South Africa this weekend, China will call on other BRICS members (Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa) to cooperate closely, turning the bloc into an official geopolitical rival of the Group of Seven (G7).
“If we expand BRICS to be responsible for a portion of global GDP, like the G7, our voice in the international arena will become stronger,” an unnamed Chinese representative told the Financial Times.
However, the Financial Times source also said that the expansion of BRICS membership is causing increasing tension between China and India. The disagreement is whether BRICS should be a neutral bloc to protect the economic interests of developing countries, or will become an overt political force against the West.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times also quoted an anonymous Brazilian diplomat as saying that the country supports clearer rules and criteria for accepting new members.
South African President Cyril Ramaposa has sent invitations to leaders and heads of government from more than 60 countries to attend the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg (South Africa) from August 22-24.
Host President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will attend the summit in person, while Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the event virtually. Few details have been revealed about what the BRICS leaders plan to discuss, but the expansion of the bloc by adding new members is expected to be high on the agenda, along with the launch of a common currency and the possibility of establishing a common payment system.