History  abounds with formidable challenges from which the world has emerged as  an even safer and better place, and those triumphs over adversity have  testified that cooperation and common development are crucial in turning  the tide.

The  world is now living through drastic changes and a COVID-19 pandemic,  both unseen in a century. Various security challenges continue to  surface, while the global economy is still battling against significant  headwinds on its path to recovery. Meanwhile, global development has  experienced major setbacks.

"Where  is the world headed: Peace or war? Progress or regression? Openness or  isolation? Cooperation or confrontation? These are choices of the times  that we are confronted with," Chinese President Xi Jinping said  Wednesday in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the BRICS  Business Forum. He then went on at that forum and later at two other  related high-level events in the following days to share his thoughts on  how to tackle global challenges and advance common development.

Experts  worldwide said they are inspired by Xi's insights into the choices of  the times, and expect BRICS cooperation to add impetus to global  prosperity.

PROMOTING GLOBAL UNITY, COOPERATION

Experts  told Xinhua that they are impressed by Xi's emphasis on and China's  commitment to promoting global unity and cooperation, and the BRICS  partnership has set an example of South-South cooperation and of seeking  strength through unity among emerging markets and developing countries.

The  first China-Europe freight train from Chengdu to St. Petersburg arrives  at Shushary railway station in St. Petersburg, Russia, March 15, 2021.  (Xinhua)

In  his keynote speech on Wednesday, Xi said despite changes in an evolving  global environment, the historical trend of openness and development  will not reverse course, and the shared desire to meet challenges  together through cooperation will remain as strong as ever.

When  hosting the 14th BRICS Summit via video link on Thursday, Xi stressed  that the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which advocates a vision of  common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, follows the  philosophy that humanity is an indivisible security community, and aims  to create a new path to security that features dialogue over  confrontation, partnership over alliance and win-win over zero-sum.

"China  would like to work with BRICS partners to operationalize the GSI and  bring more stability and positive energy to the world," said Xi.

Xi's  call for global cooperation and solidarity, as well as true  multilateralism, is a positive step toward world peace and security, said Samer Khair Ahmed, a Jordanian writer and expert on Arab-China relations.

The  experiences of recent years have demonstrated that global security is  an integrated issue that cannot be achieved by antagonizing or isolating  a country or a group of countries, and it has become necessary for the  world to build true international solidarity for the sake of security  and peace, said Ahmed.

Photo taken on April 10, 2017 shows a solar power plant near Hyderabad,  capital of India's southern state of Telangana. The plant was  constructed with the assistance of Chinese enterprises. (Xinhua/Bi Xiaoyang)

Jose  Ricardo dos Santos Luzin Junior, CEO of Sao Paulo-based company LIDE  China, said China has been playing a key role in upholding  multilateralism and helping shape a new global governance order that  stresses mutual cooperation.

CHARTING COURSE FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

To muster concerted efforts and chart the course for global development ranks high on the agenda of the BRICS cooperation.

When  chairing the High-level Dialogue on Global Development on Friday in  virtual format, Xi called for forging high-quality partnership for a new  era of global development.

"We  must get a good grasp of the overarching development trend in the  world, firm up confidence, and act in unison and with great motivation  to promote global development and foster a development paradigm  featuring benefits for all, balance, coordination, inclusiveness,  win-win cooperation and common prosperity," he said.

Xi noted that at last year's UN General Assembly session, he put forth the Global Development Initiative (GDI).

"China will take pragmatic steps to give continued support to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Xi said.

The  medical supplies donated by China arrive at Or Tambo International  Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, April 14, 2020. (Chinese Embassy  in South Africa/Handout via Xinhua)

The GDI proposed by Xi sets out to tackle such development issues as food  security, environment, climate change and poverty, said Charles  Onunaiju, director of the Abuja-based Center for China Studies, hailing  China for sharing Chinese expertise in the eradication of poverty and  food security with the rest of the world.

Xi's  speech has demonstrated China's commitment to sharing development  opportunities with the rest of the world in the face of the COVID-19  pandemic, Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, chairman of a Dhaka-based think-tank  Research and Policy Integration for Development, told Xinhua.

Describing  China's proposals at the forum as "very timely and thoughtful,"  Razzaque stressed that China has already been playing a critical role in  helping other countries integrate with the global economy.

Photo  taken on Jan. 18, 2021 shows Longping High-Tech Brazil, a  Chinese-invested company owned by Longping Agriculture Science Co.,  Ltd., in Cravinhos, Brazil. (Xinhua)

For  Sudheendra Kulkarni, former chairman of Mumbai-based think-tank  Observer Research Foundation, the GDI means development for all without  any discrimination.

"Whether  the country is small or big, whether the country is rich or poor,  whether the country is militarily strong or weak, all have to be treated  equally, and the fruits of development, the fruits of technological  revolution must reach all," he added.

POSITIVE FORCE FOR A BETTER WORLD

The BRICS mechanism has been taken by many around the world as an important  cooperation platform for emerging markets and developing countries,  which is expected to bring positive, stabilizing and constructive  strength to the world.

Aerial photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows the headquarters building of the New  Development Bank (NDB) in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

At  Wednesday's BRICS Business Forum, Xi noted that BRICS cooperation has  now entered a new stage of high-quality development, calling on BRICS  members to deepen cooperation to better safeguard food and energy  security, seize opportunities presented by the new scientific and  technological revolution and industrial transformation, help developing  countries speed up development of the digital economy and green  transformation, and engage in cooperation on COVID-19 response to beat  the virus at an early date.

In  the view of Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder and chairman of German think  tank Schiller Institute, BRICS countries respect each other, firmly  support multilateralism, and are committed to win-win cooperation.

BRICS  cooperation in such fields as food supply and public health is of great  significance to the world, Zepp-LaRouche said, adding BRICS countries  can play an important role in eradicating global hunger and  strengthening the construction of modern global health systems.

Lawrence  Loh, Director for Centre for Governance and Sustainability of the  National University Singapore Business School, said another notable area  for BRICS cooperation is in innovation, technology and education.

In  this regard, the BRICS can play a major role in spearheading new  development for the next phase of post-pandemic global growth, said Loh.

Noting  that BRICS countries gather not in a closed club or an exclusive  circle, but a big family of mutual support and a partnership for win-win  cooperation, Xi said when hosting the 14th BRICS Summit on Thursday  that BRICS countries need to uphold openness and inclusiveness and pool  collective wisdom and strength.

Herman  Tiu Laurel, founder of a Manila-based think tank Philippine BRICS  Strategic Studies, said the "BRICS Plus" cooperation model, which  focuses on openness, inclusiveness, and mutual benefit and represents  the voice and interest of the developing countries, will provide an  essential impetus to global development.

A worker operates on the refrigerator production line at Hisense South  Africa Industrial Park in Cape Town, South Africa, June 1, 2022. Hisense  is a Chinese consumer electronics company. (Xinhua/Lyv Tianran)

Nourhan  el-Sheikh, professor at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science,  Cairo University, said that China has a sound understanding of what the  world is confronted with.

"The  world shares the same interests and challenges. We either live together  or we will be ruined together," said El-Sheikh. "This is a very  accurate vision and understanding of President Xi and China, stressing  the need to co-exist and live together. It is a different vision from  that of the West, which seeks to grow at the expense of others."

(source：Xinhua News)