2017 BRICS
The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, as well as observing heads of state from Egypt, Thailand, Mexico, Tajikistan and others, have just completed their first full working day at the 9th Annual BRICS summit in Xiaman, China.

Earlier in the day, the summit's host, President Xi Jingping outlined the three main goals of the BRICS.

The Chinese President stated,
"I believe there are three important practices that should be carried forward".
  • First, treating each other as equals and seeking common ground while shelving differences.
  • Second, taking a results-oriented, innovative approach to make our cooperationbenefit all. BRICS is not a talking shop, but a task force that gets things done.
  • Third, developing ourselves to help others with the well-being of the world in our mind. Having gone through an arduous course of development, we BRICS countries share the agony of those people who are still caught in chaos and poverty.
In this sense, Xi channelled the ethos and philosophy of former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping who famously said, "It doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice". This statement underscores the essence of China's "market socialism" economy that was inaugurated during the leadership of Deng which began in 1978.

President Xi sought to communicate the ethos of modernisation, pragmatic rational thinking and diligent work occurring in line with tradition, that has become a defining feature of today's thriving China.

Unlike western models for 'development' which tend to stress civic governance over economic and infrastructural reforms, the Chinese model is more suited to growing and developing economies which seek to preserve their political and cultural integrity while embracing outward looking economic initiatives that as they have in China, will benefit both local people and those throughout wider developing regions of the world.

President Xi reiterated this message while giving an address before the evening's banquet. During his speech, the Chinese President spoke of arriving in Xiamen when he was 30 years of age and admiring the natural floral and sea-front beauty of the south Chinese city. Today, Xi highlighted the fact that the natural beauty of the city remains, although now it is complimented by vast roads and modern skyscrapers which are a testament to the Chinese success story which according to Xi is ready for export to all growing and developing nations who seek mutually beneficial partnerships with the BRICS.

Before proposing a toast to mutual prosperity, Xi stated that the Chinese model can help produce "miracles" across the BRICS and nations that seek developmental partnerships with the group.


The BRICS have released this summit's full official declaration, one which stresses a commitment to openness and partnerships for development which reach beyond existing BRICS members. This is in-line with Xi Jinping's emphasis on a BRICS Plus model which seeks an outward looking rather than introverted group of nations.

The highlights of the Declaration are as follows:

-Caution against inward looking economic trends

-Encouragement of multi-lateral efforts to solve problems which mutually impact multiple states and global regions

-A primary focus on trade and investment, manufacturing and minerals processing, infrastructure connectivity, financial integration, science, technology and innovation, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) cooperation

-An emphasis on e-commerce and economic digitisation

-Increased cooperation between public and private sectors

-Increased multilateral investment opportunities

-Actively promoting innovation in technology and science across the BRICS and BRICS partners

-Retain a commitment to growth with sustainable/green development

-Maintain a commitment to an "open and inclusive" style of economic governance which respects the characteristics and unique situations of all nations

-A commitment to helping countries recover from war and terrorism

-A commitment to unique in the common fight against security threats

The Declaration focused on the positive aspects of unity on economic initiatives with an emphasis on the idea that no problem cannot be solved through patience and multi-lateral cooperation.

Here is the full text of this years's Declaration.