BRICS to play key role in safeguarding free trade

China will further open up its market for imports from other BRICS countries and pledge to spearhead an anti-protectionism campaign with Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, a senior commerce official said on Tuesday.

"Investment and trade are the vital economic drive for BRICS countries as it has profound potential," Wang Shouwen, vice-minister of commerce, said at a news conference.

"BRICS took up 23 percent of global GDP in 2016, up from 12 percent a decade ago, but only accounted for 16 percent of world trade, 16 percent of total foreign investment and 12 percent of outbound investment."