Whendiscussingthebuilduptothesummit,LindiweSisulu,SouthAfricanMinisterofInternationalRelationsandCooperationsaidmultilateralismwasundersiege,butthatSouthAfricaremainsdeeplycommittedtomultilateraldiplomacy,callingforBRICStokeepontrackofthechallengesinthechangingworld,butremainresoluteontheBRICSdreams.
TheoverarchingcommitmenttoinclusivityisclearlyevidentasSouthAfricahasdeterminedthatanoutreachwilltakeplacewithvariousAfricancountriesincludingRwanda,NamibiaandTogo.Inaddition,SouthAfricawillalsohostBRICSPlusOutreachonthebordersofthesummit,whichwillseecountrieslikeArgentina,Indonesia,Egypt,andTurkeyparticipating.
SisulusaidSouthAfricaproposednewareasofBRICScooperationinpeacekeeping,aVaccineResearchCenter,BRICSGenderandWomen鈥檚Forum,BRICSTourismTrackofCooperationandadvancingtheFourthIndustrialRevolutiontoleapfrogthetechnologydivide.
TodrilldowndeeperintoBRICS鈥檚operationandvisionandbringgreaterclaritytoitsrelevance,ChinAfricahascompiledacomprehensivepackageofreportsandcommentarytocoincidewiththesummit.IncludedinthisarethevoicesofLinSongtian,theChineseAmbassadortoSouthAfrica,whoexplainsinwhatwayBRICScooperationhasestablishedamajorforceinshapingthemodernizationofinternationalgovernance,andDolanaMsimang,theSouthAfricanAmbassadortoChina,sheddinglightonhowSouthAfricaregardsBRICSasacatalysttoitscoreforeignpolicypriorities,suchaspromotionoftheAfricanUnion鈥檚agendasandtheUN2030SustainableDevelopmentAgenda.
AcademicHeWenping,aseniorresearcheroftheCharharInstitute,offersinsightintotheimportanceof2018forbothChinaandAfrica,astheBRICSmechanismcancollaboratewiththeForumofChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC)andtheBeltandRoadInitiativetofurtherpromoteAfricandevelopment;GarthShelton,AssociateProfessorofInternationalRelationsattheUniversityofWitwatersranddiscusseswhyasAfrica鈥檚voicewithintheBRICSsystem,SouthAfricahasahistoricalresponsibilitytoadvanceBRICScooperation,whileatthesametimefacilitatingAfrica鈥檚inclusionandconstructiveparticipationintheplatform鈥檚process.
PerhapsthemostimportantareaoftheBRICSmissionisfunding-formanyprojectsandinfrastructuredevelopmentrequired.ChinAfricahadanexclusiveinterviewwithLeslieMaasdorp,VicePresidentoftheBRICSNewDevelopmentBank,tolearnaboutthemajorrolethebankisplayinginassistingAfricatorealizeindependentandsustainablegrowth,bridgingthewideninggapfordevelopmentalfinancenotonlyforBRICScountries,butalsoemergingeconomiesasawhole,anotherindicationofthemechanismgrowingrelevance.TenyearsaftertheestablishmentofBRICS,itisclearthattheblocisnotcompetingwithotherglobalorganizations,butitdoesseekmoreglobalparity,andhasthusbroadeneditsvisiontoencompasseconomic,globalpolitical,securityandsocialmatters.
Whendiscussingthebuilduptothesummit,LindiweSisulu,SouthAfricanMinisterofInternationalRelationsandCooperationsaidmultilateralismwasundersiege,butthatSouthAfricaremainsdeeplycommittedtomultilateraldiplomacy,callingforBRICStokeepontrackofthechallengesinthechangingworld,butremainresoluteontheBRICSdreams.
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