Global South marching together is monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilisation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday and called on BRICS Plus countries to firmly uphold peace and strive for common security.

Addressing the BRICS Outreach/BRICS Plus meeting, Xi said the ‘BRICS Plus’ countries should be a stabilising force for peace, strengthen global security governance, and explore ways to address both the symptoms and root causes of hotspot issues.

Noting that the collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world, Xi said that Global South countries marching together toward modernisation is monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilisation.

According to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, the Outreach/BRICS Plus is an extended format, which includes more than the 10 BRICS members, and was hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the final day of the BRICS Summit.

According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi said the Global South “emerges for development and prospers through development” and urged BRICS Plus countries to make themselves the main driving force for common development.

BRICS Plus countries should play an active and leading role in the global economic governance reform, and make development the core of international economic and trade agenda, Xi added.

These countries should also be advocates for exchanges among civilisations, he said, and called on the BRICS Plus countries to enhance communication and dialogue, and support each other in taking the path to modernisation suited to their respective national conditions.

He also said that China will coordinate with others to form a Global South Think Tanks Alliance to promote people-to-people exchanges and experience-sharing in governance.

No matter how the international landscape evolves, China will always keep the Global South in heart, and maintain its roots in the Global South, he added.

The meeting was attended by delegates from nearly 40 countries, including leaders of a number of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Asian, African, West Asian, and Latin American countries.

It also had heads of international organisations, including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.