Remarks by H.E. Wang Yi
At the Session “Reforming International Institutions
For a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance”
Of the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs / International Relations of BRICS Member Countries

Rio de Janeiro, April 28, 2025

Colleagues,

Profound changes unseen in a century have brought global governance to a critical crossroads. As representatives of emerging forces, we BRICS nations must rise to our historic responsibility and strengthen unity and cooperation. We should work with the rest of the international community to reform and improve the global governance architecture to make it more responsive and effective in tackling global challenges, and balanced and equitable in reflecting the shared aspirations of the Global South.

We should safeguard multilateral trade rules. This is the most pressing issue today. International trade is essentially about complementarity, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. It is not a calculation of who is winning and who is losing, still less a tool for advancing selfish interests. The United States, despite being the world’s largest economy and a major historical beneficiary of free trade, now uses tariffs as a bargaining chip to extract unfair concessions. In the face of such acts, silence or compromise only emboldens the bully. BRICS countries must take a clear stance: We oppose all forms of protectionism. We must resolutely uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, actively participate in WTO reforms, defend its core values and fundamental principles, and expedite the restoration of a fully functional dispute settlement mechanism. We should also continue to deepen practical economic and trade cooperation within BRICS to advance trade liberalization and facilitation.

We should strengthen global financial governance. BRICS countries should enhance coordination within multilateral mechanisms, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the G20, to advance the reform of the international financial architecture so that it better reflects the changing global economic landscape and better supports the economic development of the Global South. The World Bank shareholding review and IMF quota adjustment are immediate priorities in correcting the historical injustice of the seriously inadequate representation and voice of the Global South.

We should facilitate green transition. BRICS countries should promote the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement, adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, and urge developed countries to honor their due obligations by providing financial and technological support and capacity building assistance to developing nations. We should deepen BRICS cooperation on low-carbon transition in the energy sector to achieve higher-quality and more sustainable development. China supports Brazil in hosting the COP30 (the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), and looks forward to positive outcomes that will help shape a fair and equitable global climate governance system for win-win cooperation.

We should share digital opportunities. The accelerating information technology revolution is profoundly transforming production modes and ways of life. BRICS countries should actively implement the U.N. Global Digital Compact, bridge the digital divide, and establish common rules for cyberspace. China supports BRICS countries in developing proposals for improving global AI governance that champion fairness, inclusiveness, security, AI for good and collaborative governance. China has established the Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity Building and the China-BRICS AI Development and Cooperation Center. In July 2025, China will host the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, and we warmly welcome the participation of fellow BRICS countries.

Colleagues,

The United Nations is the primary platform for global governance. The severe challenges confronting our world today stem not from any “flaws” in U.N. institutions, still less from the U.N. Charter being “outdated.” Rather, they arise from persistent assaults of unilateralism against this organization and failures to effectively uphold the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter. Amid the changing and turbulent international landscape, BRICS countries should steadfastly practice true multilateralism, jointly uphold U.N.’s authority, and support its central role in global governance.

In just over two months, we will convene for the BRICS Summit in Rio—a gathering that heralds both the renewed presence and grand reunion of the expanded BRICS family. Rio, a city that has borne witness to the Global South’s pursuit of and aspirations for sustainable development and a fairer world, now stands as the perfect backdrop for us to carry forward the baton of history and make the voice of BRICS heard. Together, we will write a new chapter for the Global South in global governance and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.