BRICS countries should take a leading role in promoting peace and development in the international arena, said Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a meeting with his counterparts from the grouping's member states in Rio de Janeiro.
“BRICS acting as a positive and constructive force in the international arena, our countries should take a leading role and become a fortress for peace and development“, the minister was quoted as saying on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website.
According to him, the international situation has undergone profound changes, the world has entered a period of turmoil, and the cause of peace and development is facing new and serious challenges.
“The basic concepts of international cooperation have been undermined, "The foundation for the development of international relations is constantly being questioned, and the international environment for peaceful development is facing cataclysms," he said.
Wang Yi noted the need to adhere to the concept of universal security and follow the "path of dialogue and partnership, not confrontation".
"We need to firmly safeguard the multilateral trading system, promote mutually beneficial and comprehensive development of countries, and support economic globalization," the Chinese foreign ministry chief stressed.