New path for forging solidarity

The ninth BRICS summit ended on September 5 in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen, Fujian province. Speaking at a press briefing to close the gathering, Chinese President Xi Jinping said BRICS has forged a blueprint for enhancing cooperation and partnership. He urged emerging market and developing countries to stay together and work harder for South-South cooperation and speed up implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

According to him, the economic bloc has embarked on a new path of forging solidarity and a broader, closer and more comprehensive partnership. President Xi called for a fairer and more equitable international economic order and for the amplification of the voice of emerging economies on the global stage. He added that protectionism must be resisted.

South Africa is next host

Meanwhile, South Africa is to host the tenth BRICS summit in 2018. The decision was arrived at this week in Xiamen where BRICS leaders met from September 3-5. South African President Jacob Zuma said his country has four primary goals in BRICS - to ensure development and inclusive economic growth, promote value-added trade among BRICS countries, and promote investments in productive sectors.

“I am of the view that focusing on these goals would enable us to facilitate greater trade, investment and industrialization, which is a key part of addressing common challenges facing us, including unemployment, inequality and poverty,” Zuma noted. He called on the BRICS-owned New Development Bank to be more welcoming to emerging and developing markets and to Africa in particular, and assist the continent in taking forward development.

“We look forward to seeing progress in the funding of energy, transport, water and other productive sectors which currently impede our competitiveness in the broader global landscape,” the South African leader stressed. He said South Africa’s trade with BRICS counterparts increased from 15 billion US dollars in 2010 to 31.2 billion US dollars in 2016.

African Union represented at Xiamen

Africa was also represented at the Xiamen summit by President Alpha Conde of Guinea, current Chair of the African Union, and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt. President Conde called for strengthened economic cooperation between BRICS and Africa, adding that the continent missed the opportunity of the Industrial Revolution and must do so with digital switchover.

“With its huge potentials and various business opportunities, Africa has a future in BRICS,” Alpha Conde noted. “Our partnership with BRICS will continue to present new opportunities of a continent that has decided to take its destiny into its hands by speaking with one voice,” the Guinean leader noted.

“The advent of BRICS is already scaring people in some quarters by its determination to build a more just and equitable world economic order,” he stated. The AU Chair said with 42 per cent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product, BRICS has become an unavoidable player in international relations …… that bring hope to hitherto marginalized countries to become veritable actors for shared prosperity.”

Kimeng Hilton Ndukong, a contributor to People’s Daily Online, is Sub-Editor for World News with Cameroon Tribune bilingual daily newspaper in Cameroon. He is currently a 2017 China-Africa Press Centre, CAPC fellow.