The BRICS Political Parties, Think Tanks and Civil Society Organizations Forum Opens

Beijing, May 19th -- The BRICS Political Parties, Think Tanks and Civil Society Organizations Forum opened here today via video link. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President, sent a congratulatory letter to the forum. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of African National Congress (ANC) and President of South Africa, Alberto Fernández, Chairman of the Justicialist Party and President of Argentina, and others  extended congratulations to the forum. Over 130 leaders of political parties, and representatives of think tanks and civil society organizations from ten countries attended the forum online. Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), read out General Secretary Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.

Song said, General Secretary Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter charts the course for political parties, think tanks and civil society organizations of BRICS countries and developing countries to shoulder responsibilities and promote common development of the world. Now, the combined forces of changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century have brought the world into a phase of fluidity and transformation. BRICS countries should be a strong force to jointly lead common development, advance international cooperation, maintain global security and push for progress of mankind. Political parties, think tanks and civil society organizations of BRICS countries should give play to their special advantages, and promote BRICS countries as well as other emerging markets, developing countries and international organizations to stay committed to the common values of mankind. BRICS countries also need to strengthen cooperation in areas such as the fight against the COVID-19, scientific and technological innovation, green and low-carbon development, and poverty alleviation, practice true multilateralism, reject Cold War mentality, advance the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, push for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations (UN), and march towards a better future together.

Representatives of the foreign participants spoke highly of China's remarkable development achievements made under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. They believed the important proposals put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping, including the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, inject fresh impetus into promoting world peace and development and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. BRICS countries uphold the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, explore development paths suitable to national conditions, and have made important contributions to facilitating solidarity and cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries and advancing global governance. In the face of global challenges such as the COVID-19 and climate change, political parties, think tanks and civil society organizations of BRICS countries should enhance the understanding of a shared destiny, resolutely safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, say no to group politics and bloc confrontation, push for coordinated development in such sectors as economy, society and environment, and build a better, fairer and more prosperous world.

Guo Yezhou, Vice-minister of the IDCPC and President of the China Council for BRICS Think Tank Cooperation, presided over the forum. Chen Zhou, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, and Cui Yonghui, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee, and others attended the event.