Egypt, Kenya, Mexico, Tajikistan, and Thailand have been invited by China last year to the BRICS summit. However, under fire for such an invitation, China cleared suspicions that it is trying to expand the BRICS group.
Chinese president Xi Jinping, per China Daily, pointed out that his intention was for the invited countries to be introduced to BRICS Plus. The meeting was more about enhancing cooperation, he said, and that it would benefit these countries the most, as all of them are classified as developing. Cooperation was best for these countries for the sole reason that when they are united, they would best all incoming challenges and be able to share notes, with all of them sharing similar circumstances.
The BRICS Plus cooperation was started at last year's Xiamen summit, the predecessor to this year's Johannesburg summit, where Xi Jinping reiterated its importance. To further highlight its helpfulness, he invited the said countries, as they would benefit the most out of all the cooperation and shared building between countries.
During last year's BRICS summit, First Post reveals that BRICS Plus was introduced more thoroughly. According to foreign minister Wang Yi, the countries then learned what BRICS was all about, as well as received a better explanation of what benefits they stand to gain from it.
It wasn't only China who invited the countries, the foreign minister explained. The BRICS countries (BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) each invited different countries of their choices during summits of the said group. Past invitees turned members were Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
In line with China's open economic partnership system, Xi encouraged these countries to welcome a multilateral trading system. Helping the world economy should help their own economies as well, the Chinese president explained, and it would only help them gain more partners for their own developments, in turn.
Africa and China, currently on good terms after Xi Jinping's visit to the country, is currently selling countries to the whole idea of the BRICS Plus system, where equal development and progress has become the main focus.
