Africa seeks rivalry-free BRICS' support

Although the theme of the 9th BRICS Summit is "A Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future", there is likely to be some underlying tension among the five member states when they meet in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, from Sept 3 to 5.

Eurasian rivalries such as border disputes are not new of course, but yet again they have shown that disagreements do not militate against cooperation. Furthermore, as emerging powers that wish to have a greater say in global affairs, and with potential leverage in conflict hot-spots such as the Korean Peninsula, the BRICS members should use the platform to propose a way forward to break the current spiral.

On the economic front China and India continue to be important engines of growth in the world economy, having benefited from an open trading system over the years. Undoubtedly the BRICS Summit will reflect unanimity in the members' commitment to an open global economic system, especially one where the industrialized world does not adopt more protectionist measures.