CCTV: Last night, the 2025 BRICS chair Brazil announced that Indonesia has become a full member of BRICS. On January 1, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Cuba, Bolivia and many other countries became BRICS partners. Media commentators say that BRICS has entered a new era of “greater BRICS cooperation”, and will have an important impact on the solidarity and cooperation of the Global South and efforts to better the global governance system. What is China’s comment?
Guo Jiakun: China warmly welcomes the new addition to the BRICS family.
The BRICS cooperation mechanism came into being amidst the collective rise of emerging markets and developing countries. It is also what the world would like to see in the interest of peace, the world’s common development and better global governance. Almost two decades on since the launch of BRICS, it now accounts for nearly half of the global population, more than a third of the global economy and more than half of the world’s economic growth. BRICS’s representation, appeal and influence have been rising. BRICS has become a vital platform for promoting solidarity and cooperation of the Global South and a major force driving the reform of the global governance system.
China stands ready to work with all BRICS members to embrace the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, advance the high quality development of greater BRICS cooperation, jointly advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for all. The future holds tremendous promise for greater BRICS cooperation.
AFP: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a video conference with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng today. The US Treasury Department stated that Yellen expressed concern over malicious cyberattack activities conducted by individuals supported by the Chinese government. What is China’s comment?
Guo Jiakun: You may refer to the readout China has released on the video call. On your specific question, I’d refer you to competent authorities.
Shenzhen TV: Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a recent interview that Kazakhstan is an extremely important strategic partner for China, and the cooperation between the two countries has evolved into a dynamic and multifaceted relationship, essentially achieving the status of a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. The further development of comprehensive cooperation with China remains a key objective for Kazakh diplomacy. Kazakhstan and China have close business and trade ties and enjoy a bright future. He added that in 2023, Kazakhstan and China established a mutual visa-free regime, which has strengthened the bond between the two peoples. Kazakh citizens now have the opportunity to see firsthand how China has evolved, while also experiencing the friendly nature of the Chinese people. Do you have any comment on this?
Guo Jiakun: China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors bound together by mountains and rivers, good friends sharing a high degree of mutual trust and good partners enabling each other’s success. Just as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted in the interview, the cooperation between the two countries has evolved into a dynamic and multifaceted relationship. In recent years, under the strategic and personal guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Tokayev, cooperation between China and Kazakhstan in various fields has entered the fast lane. The year of 2024 was a year of good harvest for China-Kazakhstan relations. President Xi paid a successful state visit to Kazakhstan and reached important new common understandings with President Tokayev on bilateral relations, providing a strong boost to bilateral cooperation. The two countries have seen frequent mutual visits at various levels and more robust trade and economic ties. Cooperation in industrial capacity, connectivity, agriculture, new energy and so on is going well. Cultural and people-to-people exchanges have seen new breakthroughs. Two-way travel hit a new high.
In the new year, China stands ready to work with Kazakhstan to forge stronger synergy between our development strategies, deepen mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, jointly ensure the success of this year’s major events, translate the common understandings of our heads of state into more deliverables and continue to take China-Kazakhstan relations to new heights.
Bloomberg: The US has blacklisted Tencent and the battery maker CATL. Would the ministry like to comment on this?
Guo Jiakun: China stands firmly against the US’s practice of overstretching the concept of national security, making discriminatory lists in various names and going after Chinese companies to contain China’s high-quality development. The Chinese people’s right to development is not to be deprived of or ignored. We urge the US to immediately correct its wrongdoings, and end the illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction on Chinese companies. China will take all measures necessary to firmly defend the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and uphold its legitimate right to development.
Antara: Still related to the announcement of Indonesia becoming the official member of BRICS. My question is as one of the founding members of BRICS, how does China see the strategic significance of Indonesia becoming an official BRICS member?
Guo Jiakun: I just stated China’s position on BRICS’s addition.
On your question, China welcomes and warmly congratulates Indonesia on becoming a full member of BRICS. Indonesia, as a major developing country and important force in the Global South, highly recognizes the BRICS spirit and has taken an active part in “BRICS Plus” coop