China backs India to host BRICS Summit 2021: Details
What's the story
China on Monday expressed its support for India in hosting this year's BRICS summit and said it will work with New Delhi to strengthen the cooperation among the five-member grouping of emerging economies. India has assumed the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Chairmanship for 2021 and is set to hold this year's summit.
China's statement
BRICS has greater solidarity, deeper cooperation, greater influence: China
On February 19, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar launched India's BRICS 2021 website at the BRICS Secretariat at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. China's Foreign Minister Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, "The BRICS is a cooperation mechanism with global influence consisting of emerging economies and developing countries. In recent years, it has seen greater solidarity and deeper practical cooperation and greater influence."
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We will help the world defeat COVID-19: China
"We will work with other members to strengthen communication dialogue and consolidate the three-pillar cooperation, expand BRICS plus cooperation and work for greater progress under BRICS and also help the world to defeat COVID-19, resume economic growth and improve global governance," Wenbin said.
Xi Jinping
Unclear if Xi Jinping will attend the summit
Wenbin, however, did not specify whether Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend the summit expected to be held later this year. Xi has attended all the annual summits of the five-member bloc in the past, including the one last year hosted by Russia in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part.
Information
'BRICS is a positive, stable and constructive force,' says China
Wenbin said that BRICS is now a positive, stable, and constructive force in international affairs while adding that China attaches importance to this mechanism. "We are committed to deepening strategic partnership within it to consolidate solidarity and cooperation," Wenbin said.
Eastern Ladakh standoff
Both countries agreed to disengage troops in Eastern Ladakh
China's announcement came as the armies of both countries have reached a mutual agreement of disengagement of troops locked in over an eight-month-long standoff in the most contentious area of Eastern Ladakh - North and South Pangong Lake. Military commanders of both armies held the tenth round of talks on the Chinese side of the Moldo/Chushul border meeting point on February 20.