“Understanding the essence of BRICS cooperation has been pivotal to its rapid development over the years. At the sixth BRICS summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, in July 2014, President Xi Jinping emphasized the spirit of ‘openness,’ ‘inclusiveness,’ ‘cooperation,’ and ‘mutual benefit.’ He outlined a vision for a tighter and more resilient partnership among BRICS nations.
When discussing the BRICS spirit, President Xi has often addressed its profound significance in various contexts. He illustrated the importance of collaborative development by likening it to the saying ‘a single tree does not make a forest,’ underlining that in an era of deepening economic globalization, BRICS nations must strive for both national development and collective progress. He added, invoking the ancient wisdom ‘one arrow is easily broken, but ten are hard to bend,’ that we should broaden the reach and benefits of BRICS cooperation. This includes promoting a ‘BRICS+’ cooperation model that fosters an open and diverse network of development partners involving more emerging market and developing countries in collaborative, mutually beneficial projects.
President Xi also cited the proverb ‘Mount Tai does not refuse soil, thus it can become great; rivers and seas do not select small streams, thus they can achieve depth,’ affirming that ‘inclusiveness, mutual benefit, and win-win outcomes are the rightful paths for humanity.’
The principles laid out have led BRICS nations to develop robust cooperative mechanisms across multiple sectors, including politics, economics, finance, trade, society, and culture. This has resulted in the establishment of initiatives like the New Development Bank, emergency reserve arrangements, and business councils. Cultural exchanges have expanded through sports events, film festivals, and cultural celebrations, with increasing collaborations taking root and flourishing.
During the 15th BRICS summit in August 2023, President Xi revisited the African proverb ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,’ pointing out the need to uphold the spirit of openness and cooperation to welcome more countries into the BRICS family. This collaborative effort aims to harness collective wisdom and strength to advance global governance in a fairer and more just direction.
The recent summit confirmed that BRICS is not a closed club or an exclusive circle, but rather a supportive family of nations committed to cooperation and mutual benefit. While each nation’s conditions differ, they share a common pursuit of partnership and prosperity.
Reflecting on how far BRICS has come, the commitment to open cooperation and mutual benefit continues to strengthen the alliance, making it ever more impactful. As President Xi stated, ‘I believe that as long as we sail with the wind of mutual benefit and steady the helm of unity and cooperation, the ship of BRICS will surely navigate through challenges to reach a brighter and better future!'”
