Xi Jinping Urges BRICS to Accelerate Expansion

(Bloomberg) — Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the BRICS bloc of emerging-market nations to fast-track a plan to add members at a summit in South Africa as China leads a push to give the group more clout on the world stage.

“I am glad to see growing enthusiasm from developing countries about participating in BRICS,” Xi said Wednesday in a speech at the event. The bloc — consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — should “accelerate the BRICS expansion process to bring more countries into the BRICS family,” he said.