How does cooperation within the BRICS bring relations between Russia and the PRC to a new level?

The Chinese don't reproduce abbreviations, they have a special word for "golden brick". And they call BRICS as “the five countries of the golden brick”.

Andrey Denisov, Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to China from 2013 to 2022, spoke in an exclusive interview with TV BRICS about what BRICS membership brings to each member of the alliance.

"For all the participating countries, this 'brick' has turned out to be truly golden, because it meets the objective needs of our countries - it is both an exchange of views and cooperation in certain practical areas where we need it and where it is interesting," the Russian diplomat said.

Russia and China are long-time partners and long-time friends. A priority for the two countries is partnership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS platforms. The states maintain a traditionally high level of bilateral coordination within the associations and advocate a multipolar world: countries can promote their interests in the international arena thanks to the BRICS membership. The RF and the PRC actively cooperate in the industrial, energy and humanitarian spheres.

Andrey Denisov noted that there are some areas where even two large countries, such as China and Russia, are not enough, so BRICS is the optimal format.

"Cooperation is more effective if it extends to a wider range of states. All the more so when that broader circle includes the world's leading countries from different continents: Brazil in Latin America, South Africa in Africa, not to mention India, which is steadily climbing up the global leaderboard and is about to overtake China in terms of population, which seemed completely unthinkable just recently. And in terms of industrial production and economy, India is also emerging as a world leader"

Andrey Denisov Russian former Ambassador to China

He added that the various mechanisms developed in the BRICS help to highlight the areas of most interest to each member country and translate them to allies, taking into account the individual characteristics and benefits of each member.

"The question is to pick areas that are of interest to everyone. BRICS helps to do this and will continue to help,” the Russian diplomat concluded.

In 2022, trade between Russia and China increased by 35 per cent to $140 billion. In January, the PRC lifted covid restrictions, which makes all formats of Russian-Chinese interaction so much easier that the figure could become even higher, according to economists.

According to experts, the BRICS will continue to expand. South Africa's ambassador in Moscow, Mzuvukile Maqetuka, announced the previous day that 13 countries had expressed interest in joining the group. He noted that several states have already submitted formal applications to join the association.

Photo: istockphoto.com