Chinese President Xi Jinping urged BRICS members to remain true to its founding purposes and team up with other developing countries to rise to chal- lenges and unlock brighter futures given the fragile global economic recovery, widening development gap and grave challenges such as climate change and problems with digital governance, in his letter to the video forum of BRICS political parties, think tanks and civil society organizations on May 19.  

The BRICS Political Parties, Think Tanks and Civil Society Organizations Forum opened in Beijing on May 19 via video link. Xi, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, sent a congratulatory letter to the forum.  

Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the African National Congress (ANC) and President of South Africa, Alberto Fernández, Chairperson of the Justicialist Party and President of Argentina, and others extended their congratulations to the forum.  

Over 130 leaders of political parties and representatives of think tanks and civil society organizations from 10 countries at- tended the forum online.  

Representatives of the foreign participants spoke highly of China’s remarkable development achievements made under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core. They believed the important proposals put forward by Xi, including the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, will inject fresh impetus into the promotion of world peace and development and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.  

They added that BRICS countries uphold the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, explore development paths suitable to national conditions, and have made important contributions to facilitating solidarity and cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries and advancing global governance.  

With global challenges such as the COVID-19 and climate change, political parties, think tanks and civil society organizations of BRICS countries should enhance the understanding of a shared destiny, resolutely safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, and say no to group politics and bloc confrontation; push for coordinated development in such sectors as economy, society and environment; and build a better, fairer and more prosperous world, participants of the forum believed. CI  

(Based on news reports from Xinhua News Agency and the Press Office of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee)  

Participants in the virtual forum of BRICS political parties, think tanks and civil society organizations give their speeches （Courtesy of IDCPC）  

Calls for BRICS Cooperation  

BRICS political parties, think tanks and civil society organizations must fulfill their responsibilities, deepen communication and contribute their wisdom and strength to common global development and building a community with a shared future for humanity, as agreed upon by participants to a recent virtual meeting.  

The BRICS Political Parties, Think Tanks and Civil Society Organizations Forum opened in Beijing via video link on May 19, attended by more than 130 political party leaders and representatives of think tanks and civil society organizations from 10 countries. They shared their in-depth insights into issues such as global governance, coping with challenges and promoting sustainable development with enhanced BRICS collaboration.  

The event was hosted jointly by the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the China Council for BRICS Think Tank Cooperation and the China NGO Network for International Exchanges.  

Edited highlights of attendees’ views follow:  

A Community of Shared Security for Humanity  

We must resist all attempts to replace multilateralism and exchanges and cooperation with narrow nationalism and unilateralism. Only by holding hands together can we solve the problems facing the world.  

—Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the African National Congress and President of South Africa  

Based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence [mutual respect for sover- eignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence], the 1955 Bandung Conference put forward 10 principles for dealing with inter- state relations, which are still of great guiding significance to the practice of international relations. In the same spirit, we hope that in the future, no country will pursue its own interests at the cost of others’.  

—Megawati Soekarnoputri, Chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle  

Under the current circumstances, all parties must remain even more rational and cautious. The BRICS countries should do their best for peace and pro- mote regional peace and stability through diplomatic means.  

—Cláudio Cajado, Executive Chair of the Progressive Party of Brazil  

The Global Security Initiative aligns with the themes of today’s era. I am very impressed by China’s foreign policy of strengthened cooperation and non- interference in other countries’ internal affairs.  

—Pallab Sengupta, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of India  

New Impetus to Global Cooperation  

The BRICS countries play a vital role in the development of the world economy and are set to make increasingly important contributions to maintaining global macroeconomic stability and promoting world economic growth. I express my appreciation for the BRICS countries for their commitment to fully implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its specific goals.  

—Alberto Fernández, President of the Justicialist Party and President of Argentina 

To promote inclusive, sustainable and resilient economic and social recovery and development in the post-pandemic era, we must work more closely together. I fully agree with the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, which not only injects new impetus into global coopera- tion, but also provides new opportunities for countries that are lagging behind in development, especially those hit hard by COVID-19.  

—Samdech Techo Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian People’s Party and Prime Minister of Cambodia 

Instead of spending time and energy on military deployments, we should focus on peace, reform and development. The Global Development Initiative provides new ideas for overcoming current difficulties and reflects the aspirations of African countries as well.  

—David Monyae, Director of the Center for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg  

Cooperation within the BRICS framework has created very favorable conditions for the development of member countries. Greater solidarity and cooperation among responsible parties is more important now than ever. We will not allow the de- struction of an already fragile global food system and the continued deterioration of hunger. This is a common task all political parties, think tanks and civil society organizations in BRICS countries face.  

—Boris Gryzlov, Chairperson of the Supreme Council of the United Russia Party  

BRICS countries share many characteristics and should play a role in promot- ing the better participation of emerging market countries in global governance issues. In the future, these countries should not only strengthen cooperation at the government level, but also further strengthen cooperation between political parties.  

—Baijayant Panda, National Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, India