BRICS Summit: Chinese minister lambasts US, says 'every country has right to development'

As China participates in the 15th BRICS summit in South Africa, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao has lambasted the US. The statement by the Chinese minister came during the Economic Forum summit held in South Africa. It is to be noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping has been on a state visit to South Africa too which has been coinciding with the BRICS summit, reported ANI.  

"Everything we do is to deliver better lives to our people. But some country obsessed with maintaining its hegemony has gone out of its way to cripple the emerging markets and developing countries," said the Chinese minister.  Further, he added, " Whoever is developing fast, becomes its target of containment, whoever is catching up becomes its target of obstruction. But, this is futile." He also stressed that every country has a "right to development and the people in every country have the freedom to pursue a happy life". 

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in South Africa 

While hitting on the Western country, the US, Wentao questioned, "Right now, changes in the world are unfolding in ways like never before, bringing human society to a critical juncture. Should we pursue cooperation and integration or just succumb to division and confrontation?" Further, he also asked, should we work together to maintain peace and stability or just sleepwalk into the abyss of a new cold war?”

Wentao asserted that the BRICS  Business Council has deepened cooperation and has contributed to the social and economic developments of BRICS countries. The council has also been helping sustain global economic growth.  Since the Chinese President did not attend the BRICS Business Forum 2023,  Wentao was reading the remarks on behalf of President Xi in the closing ceremony.  

BRICS in South Africa 

The BRICS forum was attended by South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Whereas, the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov represented Russian President Putin at the event virtually. 

During the forum PM Modi said that the BRICS Business Forum has given him an opportunity to highlight India’s growth trajectory, the steps taken to boost ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and public service delivery. “BRICS Business Forum gave me an opportunity to highlight India’s growth trajectory and the steps taken to boost ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and public service delivery. Also emphasised on India’s strides in digital payments, infrastructure creation, the world of StartUps and more,” PM Modi tweeted.