Xi urges BRICS to firmly safeguard international fairness, justice

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged BRICS countries to firmly safeguard international fairness and justice, when addressing the 12th BRICS summit via video link in Beijing.

He said BRICS countries must hold high the banner of multilateralism, safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and the international order underpinned by international law.

He said countries should transcend ideology, respect each other's social system, economic model and development path they choose based on their own national conditions.

Xi spoke of the need to champion the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, solve disputes through consultation and negotiation, and oppose interference in others' internal affairs as well as unilateral sanctions and the "long-arm jurisdiction" to jointly foster a peaceful and stable environment for development.

BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Tuesday's meeting was hosted by Russia, which holds the rotating BRICS presidency this year.