BRICS Plus leaders agree on closer South-South cooperation: Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that "BRICS Plus" leaders have agreed on deepening South-South cooperation, fostering the "BRICS Plus" approach, and building extensive partnerships.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) and other leaders of BRICS countries pose for a group photo before the 2017 BRICS Summit in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 4, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua/Zhang Duo]

Xi made the remarks when meeting the press at the end of the ninth BRICS summit in the southeastern city of Xiamen.

He said the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries has sent "a strong message" for closer South-South cooperation and global development cooperation.

"Leaders attending the dialogue agree that emerging market and developing countries, which enjoy good growth momentum, are well placed to play a bigger role in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and improving global economic governance," Xi said.

He said the countries together can embrace a sustainable path of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, and inject "more positive energy" to global growth and shared prosperity.

The BRIC grouping of Brazil, Russia, India and China was formally established in 2006. In 2010, South Africa joined the group, and the acronym was changed to BRICS.

China, which holds the group's rotating presidency this year, has proposed "BRICS Plus" to invite leaders of five other developing countries -- Egypt, Mexico, Thailand, Tajikistan and Guinea -- to the summit for the dialogue.