Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, stated that Moscow and Beijing are successfully advancing trade and economic cooperation despite the complex global situation.
“Despite the chaotic and complex situation in the world, cooperation between our two countries in trade and other fields is actively progressing, and large-scale cooperation projects are being steadily implemented,” China Central Television quoted President Xi as saying.
He emphasized that Beijing and Moscow should safeguard the UN-centered international system and maintain global strategic stability.
“As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major global powers, China and Russia should expand their comprehensive strategic coordination, closely interact, and coordinate their actions within multilateral frameworks such as the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation,” Xi stated.
President Xi also noted that Beijing would work to “seize new opportunities for the global south,” adding that he hopes to foster strategic and practical cooperation among the BRICS nations.
For his part, Putin referred to Xi as a “dear friend” and highlighted that the partnership between Russia and China is a force for stability in the world.
“Russian-Chinese cooperation in world affairs is one of the most important stabilizing factors on the world stage,” Putin said.
“We intend to further strengthen coordination across all multilateral platforms to ensure global security and a fair world order,” the Russian leader added.
Putin opens the meeting
The 16th BRICS Summit, chaired by Russia, is being held in Kazan from October 22 to 24.
President Putin, who is chairing the summit, opened the 10-member meeting in Kazan.
His opening speech will be followed by a closed-door session. Later on Wednesday, delegations from the 10 BRICS countries will participate in an expanded meeting open to the media.
The BRICS grouping was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates became full members on January 1, 2024. The Kazan Summit will be the first attended by these new members. Representatives from more than 30 countries are expected to attend.
