The BRICS summit, to be held in Xiamen, China starting Sunday, will help boost South-South cooperation and world development, an official from the United Nations (UN) told Xinhua recently.

This year, thanks to the "BRICS Plus" model, dialogues will be held between BRICS members and other major developing countries.

Wang Xiaojun, deputy director for programs and operations of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, noted that BRICS is not only set up for the development of its five members, but also for contributing to development around the world.

And the "BRICS Plus" model, which means "a wider cooperation," will help the BRICS achieve its goal, she said.

Wang praised China for playing a leading role in promoting South-South cooperation.

"The development of China provide the world with wisdom and good example. More than that, China, being a great power, has been always taking responsibilities of a great power," she said, adding "On the other hand, the world also has some expectations for China."

The Belt and Road Initiative put forward by China perfectly shows the country's determination to promote South-South cooperation, she added.

As for the BRICS summit in Xiamen, Wang has more expectations.

This is a changing world, and we are facing with many new things such as artificial intelligence, digital revolution, which are "question marks" for the future, she said.

"But we have to prepare the answers now and these answers can already be found in many developing countries, whose development in tourism, agriculture, etc, is driven by digital revolution," she added.

Wang said these questions should be talked about during the BRICS summit and good examples and experience of some developing countries can be applied in other countries.

"It would be great if they can do this, as the Chinese saying, advance with the times," said Wang.

Coined by former Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in 2001, the term "BRIC" referred to Brazil, Russia, India and China, four emerging markets with fast growth and great potential. In 2010, South Africa joined the group, and the acronym was changed to BRICS.

Together, the five countries now represent 44 percent of the world's population and 23 percent of global GDP, up from 12 percent a decade ago.