On June 24, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi was interviewed on President Xi Jinping's hosting of the BRICS Leaders' Meeting and the High-level Dialogue on Global Development, and introduced the "Top Ten Highlights" of the BRICS "Year of China".

Wang Yi said that under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, the "China Year" of the BRICS has been fruitful and bright. China will host more than 170 BRICS events in various fields throughout the year. In the first half of the year, more than 20 ministerial meetings were held. Each "BRICS+" event has also attracted the participation of more than 50 non-BRICS countries. The global influence continues to expand. Wang Yi said that the BRICS activities in 2022 will achieve 37 major achievements, which will reach new heights of BRICS cooperation in both quantity and quality.

Ten Highlights

The first is to make a strong voice of the BRICS to defend international fairness and justice. Issued the Beijing Declaration, expressed common positions on supporting multilateralism and improving the global governance system, and put forward the BRICS proposition for safeguarding world peace.

The second is to consolidate the BRICS defense against the epidemic. Launch the "BRICS Vaccine R&D Center", build a comprehensive platform for joint R&D and production that radiates to developing countries, and help build a community of human health.

The third is to make BRICS contributions to promoting the building of an open world economy. Published the BRICS Joint Statement on Supporting Multilateral Trading System and WTO Reform, put forward the BRICS Initiative to Strengthen Supply Chain Cooperation, and consolidated the BRICS consensus on maintaining the multilateral trading system and improving the formulation of international trade rules.

The fourth is to demonstrate the BRICS action to win the fight against corruption. Through the "BRICS Rejection of Corruption Safe Harbor Initiative", we will deepen practical cooperation among BRICS countries in cross-border corruption governance, pursuit of fugitives and asset recovery, and build a new global anti-corruption governance system.

The fifth is to lay the foundation for the construction of the BRICS integrated market. Sign the "BRICS Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Affairs" and issue the "BRICS Trade, Investment and Sustainable Development Initiative" to provide new growth points for promoting trade facilitation and achieving economic recovery.

Sixth, inject BRICS impetus to maintain global food security. The first "BRICS Food Security Cooperation Strategy" was reached, and the "Agricultural and Rural Development Forum" was established to demonstrate the five countries' pragmatic actions to stabilize global food production and their positive contributions to global food security governance.

Seventh, explore the BRICS potential for innovation and development. Establish a "BRICS Technology Transfer Center Network" and hold a "Sustainable Development Big Data Forum" to help the five countries' economic transformation, upgrading and high-quality development.

Eighth, to expand new frontiers of cooperation in frontier science and technology among the five countries. Establish the "BRICS Aerospace Cooperation Mechanism", promote exchanges and innovation in aerospace science and technology, and create a BRICS model for the peaceful use of outer space and aerospace technology to promote sustainable development.

The ninth is to grasp the opportunities of the times for the development of the digital economy. Reached the "BRICS Digital Economy Partnership Framework" and issued the "BRICS Manufacturing Digital Transformation Cooperation Initiative" to jointly achieve leapfrog development.

Tenth is to build a future-oriented high-quality technical talent pool. Establish the "BRICS Vocational Education Alliance", hold vocational skills competitions, sustainable development goals solution competitions, and women's innovation competitions, and promote the connection of the five countries' talent chains, industrial chains, and innovation chains.

Wang Yi said, in 2022, we will also hold a forum for political parties, think tanks and civil society organizations in BRICS countries, and carry out joint filming and broadcast activities of documentaries. With a variety of people-to-people and cultural exchange activities, we will tell the story of the BRICS, spread the voice of the BRICS, and promote the BRICS. Brick five countries know each other on a blind date. We also focus on strengthening the building of the BRICS mechanism, expanding the "BRICS+" cooperation, and establishing broader partnerships. In particular, it is worth mentioning that the BRICS expansion process has begun. All parties unanimously support the discussion and promotion of the expansion of the BRICS, and first of all clarify the guiding principles, standards and procedures for the expansion. Editor/He Yuting