Xi urges 'BRICS Plus' to pursue common security and development, harmony among civilizations

KAZAN, Russia -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on "BRICS Plus" countries to strive for common security, common development and harmony among civilizations.

Xi made the remarks while addressing the "BRICS Plus" leaders' dialogue.

Noting that the collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world, Xi said that Global South countries marching together toward modernization is monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilization.

Meanwhile, peace and development still faces severe challenges and the road to prosperity for the Global South will not be straight, he pointed out, urging "BRICS Plus" countries to use collective wisdom and strength and stand up to their responsibility for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Xi said that "BRICS Plus" countries should uphold peace and strive for common security, come forward together to form a stabilizing force for peace, strengthen global security governance, and explore solutions to address both symptoms and roots of hotspot issues.

He said that many parties have warmly responded to the Global Security Initiative he proposed. "Under the Initiative, we have made prominent progress in maintaining regional stability and in many other areas," he said, adding that China and Brazil jointly issued the six-point consensus and launched the group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis together with other Global South countries.

He also called on "BRICS Plus" countries to promote early deescalation to pave the way for political settlement.

Last July, Palestinian factions reconciled with each other in Beijing, marking a key step toward peace in the Middle East, he noted. "We should continue to promote comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and revive the two-State solution. We must stop the flames of war from spreading in Lebanon and end the miserable sufferings in Palestine and Lebanon," Xi stressed.

Noting that the Global South emerges for development and prospers through development, Xi said that "BRICS Plus" countries should reinvigorate development and strive for common prosperity, be the main driving force for common development, play an active and leading role in the global economic governance reform, and make development the core of international economic and trade agenda.

He said that the Global Development Initiative, since its introduction three years ago, has helped make available nearly 20 billion U.S. dollars of development fund and launch more than 1,100 projects. And recently the Global Alliance on Artificial Intelligence for Industry and Manufacturing Center of Excellence has been established in Shanghai.

China will build a World Smart Customs Community Portal and a BRICS Customs Center of Excellence, he noted, adding that China welcomes active participation by all countries.

Stressing that diversity of civilization is the innate quality of the world, Xi called on "BRICS Plus" countries to promote together development of all civilizations and strive for harmony among them, be advocates for exchanges among civilizations, enhance communication and dialogue, and support each other in taking the path to modernization suited to their respective national conditions.

He noted that the Global Civilization Initiative he proposed is exactly for the purpose of building a garden of world civilizations "in which we can share and admire the beauty of each civilization," he said, adding that China will coordinate with others to form a Global South Think Tanks Alliance to promote people-to-people exchanges and experience-sharing in governance.

Xi stressed that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made systemic plans for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization, which will provide more opportunities for the world.

"Last month, we held in Beijing a successful summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and announced ten partnership actions for China and Africa to jointly advance modernization. This will instill new energy for the Global South on its way toward modernization," he said.

Xi also said that no matter how the international landscape evolves, "we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South."

China supports more Global South countries in joining the cause of BRICS as full members, partner countries or in the "BRICS Plus" format "so that we can combine the great strength of the Global South to build together a community with a shared future for mankind," he said.