Speaking on June 22 at the opening of the BRICS ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum, which precedes the two-day BRICS Summit, host Chinese President Xi Jinping clearly indicated that the world was at a major crossroad. “Right now the world is facing drastic changes and a pandemic, both unseen in a century. Various security challenges keep emerging. The world still faces strong headwinds on its path toward recovery. And global development has suffered major setbacks. Where is the world headed: Peace or war? Progress or regression? Openness or isolation? Cooperation or confrontation? These are choices of the times that we are confronted with,” Xi said.
He also gave very clear warnings about the attempt to divide the world into blocs. “To politicize the global economy and turn it into one’s weapon, and willfully impose sanctions by using one’s primary position in the international financial and monetary systems will only end up hurting one’s own interests as well as those of others, and inflict suffering on everyone,” he said. “Economic globalization is a response to productivity, and as such represents an unstoppable trend. Anyone who attempts to turn back the wheel of history and block others’ way will only have his own path blocked.”
