China urges BRICS expansion at Summit of emerging economies

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to leaders from the BRICS group of emerging economies at the start of a three-day summit in Johannesburg, South Africa via videoconference from Moscow, Aug. 22, 2023. [AP Photo]

China on Tuesday threw its weight behind plans to expand the loosely defined BRICS club of large emerging economies, which is seeking to assert its political and economic clout on the global stage.

The BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which represent a quarter of the global economy, are meeting for three days, and interest in joining the group has surged.