China Welcomes Positive Indonesian Desire To Join BRICS

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian in a press conference in Beijing, China on Monday (28/10/2024). (ANTARA/Desca Lidya Natalia)

JAKARTA - China positively welcomes Indonesia's desire to join the BRICS "big family".

"BRICS is an open and inclusive mechanism, we welcome more partners who think the same way, including Indonesia, to join the BRICS family," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference in Beijing, China on Monday, October 28.

At the BRICS Plus Summit in Kazan, Russia on October 24, 2024, Foreign Minister Sugiono said Indonesia's desire to join the BRICS as a form of active free foreign policy.

In the 16th BRICS Summit, Indonesia was officially recognized as a partner country of BRICS along with 12 other countries. Southeast Asian countries that are also partners with BRICS other than Indonesia are Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

"As an important platform for the economy that is still developing and developing countries to increase solidarity and cooperation and uphold common interests, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has become a positive and stable force for goodness in international relations," said Lin Jian.

Lin Jian menyebut Indonesia sebagai salah satu negara bangkat utama dan ekonomi yang juga sedang berkembang punya peran penting.

"Indonesia has also been actively involved in the 'BRICS Plus' cooperation in recent years," said Lin Jian.

Previously, Foreign Minister Sugiono said that Indonesia's desire to join the BRICS shows that Indonesia views BRICS as the right vehicle to discuss and promote the common interests of South Global (Global South) countries.

To that end, Sugiono proposed three concrete steps to strengthen BRICS cooperation with South Global countries. First, upholding the right to sustainable development so that developed countries must fulfill their commitment to developing countries.

Second, support multilateral system reforms to be more inclusive, representative, and in accordance with current reality. International institutions must also be strengthened with adequate resources.

Third, Indonesia encourages BRICS to become glue in order to strengthen solidarity between developing countries.

In addition, Indonesia's joining BRICS is in line with President Prabowo Subianto's Red and White Cabinet work program, including related to food and energy security, poverty eradication, or the promotion of human resources.

As a bridge coach between developing countries and developed countries, Indonesia is also committed to increasing national involvement in other forums besides BRICS, as well as continuing dialogue with developed countries.

The BRICS was founded in 2009 with members of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, as well as South Africa joining in 2011, which later became an acronym of the member state's first letter.

The bloc has now been extended to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates joining in December 2023, but the group decided to stick to the name BRICS.

Accumulated, the population of BRICS covers 43 percent of the world's population.

The trade value reaches 16 percent of global trade. BRICS also accounts for a quarter of the global economy, covering a fifth of global trade.