Spotlight: Just-concluded BRICS, SCO summits in Ufa highlight China's constructive role

China enables both the BRICS and SCO to embrace fresh opportunities for their future development, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday following the conclusion of two international gatherings in the Russian city of Ufa.

The two summits, namely the 7th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit and 15th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, highlight China's constructive role and further enhance China's strategic mutual trust with relevant countries, Wang said.

Both as multilateral frameworks featuring emerging economies and developing countries, the BRICS and SCO are important platforms for cooperation among today's emerging powers, he said.

The attendance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders, Wang noted, aimed at deepening unity and cooperation among BRICS member states, leading in-depth development of the SCO, promoting construction of the Belt and Road initiative, consolidating results of the WWII victory and safeguarding the existing world order with the UN as the core.

DEEPENING BRICS COOPERATION

The influence, role and status of the BRICS in international affairs have been increasingly lifted since the framework was launched in 2009 in Russia, the Chinese foreign minister said.

Wang noted there are still some complicated factors facing the BRICS, such as the downward pressure due to the sluggish world's economy and external hypes of pessimistic views on the member states' prospect and doubts over the effectiveness of the BRICS cooperation.

In the face of those challenges, Wang said the reunion of the BRICS leaders in Russia signals strong momentum for the cooperation of their countries under the new trend.

The BRICS nations enjoy huge development potentials and the upward trend will not change, President Xi told the summit in Ufa.

The remarks of Xi, which accord with the trend of time and reflect his long-term perspective, boost the confidence and unity of the BRICS and usher in a promising prospect for the member states, Wang said.

LEADING SCO DEVELOPMENT

Amid complex and changing international and regional situations, the SCO has entered a critical phase of development, with more opportunities than challenges lying ahead, the Chinese foreign minister said.

In his speech addressing the summit on Friday, President Xi expected a new stride forward for the development of the SCO.

Xi suggested the member states uphold the "Shanghai Spirit", boost regional security with stronger execution, explore potentials for the BRICS interaction and enrich content for their cooperation, strengthen their generation-long friendship, and maintain openness and mutual learning within the bloc.

President Xi's proposals point out a direction for the development of the SCO in the next stage, Wang said.

At the summit, leaders of the member states approved the SCO Development Strategy until 2025, which sets detailed targets and tasks for the bloc's development in the next 10 years.

The SCO nations also ratified a resolution on starting the procedures of granting India and Pakistan full membership of the organization and elevated Belarus to the status of observer from dialogue partner, and took in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal as new dialogue partners.

The expansion is conducive to the representativeness and international standing of the organization, Wang said, stressing a dynamic and growing SCO will surely contribute more to regional peace and stability.

ADVOCATING COOPERATION, WIN-WIN RESULTS

During his stay in Ufa, President Xi elaborated on various occasions on China's major diplomatic visions, centering on cooperation and win-win results, Wang said.

Except for his participation in the two summits, the Chinese president also held sideline talks with leaders of other BRICS nations, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. They reached new consensuses on promoting mutual trust and deepening cooperation.

The China-proposed economic corridor with Russia and Mongolia also achieved substantial breakthrough as the three sides signed a memorandum on compiling a guideline for the project and approved a roadmap for its development after the trilateral meeting of their leaders in Ufa.

Those in-depth communication and exchanges, Wang said, speed up the transition of Chinese proposal to international consensus, allowing the international community to have a more precise understanding of China's strategic intention and making clear that China's development is the growth of peaceful strength as well as that of positive energy for the whole world.

In Ufa, Xi on several occasions called upon all countries to treasure the outcomes of the WWII victory, safeguard the principles and purposes of the UN charter and oppose any attempt or act to deny, distort or tamper the WWII history, according to Wang.

The SCO member states endorsed a statement to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the world anti-fascist war and WWII.

The statement, which speaks highly of the contribution of Chinese people in the war against militarism and fascism, makes the international community more looking forward to the upcoming commemorations in China, Wang said. Endi