China urges deeper BRICS partnership

President Xi Jinping called on BRICS countries on Sunday to deepen their partnership for a brighter future.

China will host the ninth summit of the leaders of BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - in Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian province, in September, Xi said.

Xi called for the enhanced partnership in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Jacob Zuma, Brazilian President Michel Temer and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the letter, he also briefed the leaders on China's blueprint for promoting BRICS cooperation during Chinese presidency of the bloc this year.

Over the past decade, BRICS countries have made joint efforts to yield fruit in cooperation on politics, economy and people-to-people exchanges, Xi said.

BRICS countries have also made great strides in their leaders' summits, which have injected new dynamisminto their cooperation, he added.

"BRICS cooperation, a model for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries, has brought benefits to people of BRICS nations and made great contributions to boosting global economic growth, improving global governance and promoting the democratization of international relations," Xi said.

In the second decade of cooperation starting this year, BRICS nations will make greater progress in working together and play a bigger role in international affairs, he said.

Facing growing uncertainties and instability in the international arena, BRICS countries need to enhance solidarity and cooperation and safeguard common interests, he said.

Xi said the Xiamen summit will focus on four aspects: deepening pragmatic cooperation for common development; enhancing global governance to jointly counter challenges; carrying out people-to-people exchanges to consolidate public support for cooperation; and promoting the building of a broader partnership.

"In accordance with an open, inclusive and win-win BRICS spirit, China will work with other BRICS countries to make the Xiamen summit a success and move forward BRICS cooperation to a new level," Xi said.

The cooperative was established in 2006, and its first summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. South Africa was admitted in 2010.