China says ready to bring 'like-minded partners' into BRICS

ANKARA

China on Wednesday said that Beijing is ready to bring "like-minded" partners into BRICS.

Beijing's comments came in response to Bangladesh's reported step to join the multinational bloc, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

“China stands ready to bring more like-minded partners into the big family of BRICS,” Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV quoted Mao Ning, spokesperson for Foreign Ministry, as having said.

Earlier, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday confirmed her government’s move to join BRICS as an alternative financial arrangement to cut the country’s dependency on the US dollar.

Hasina shared her government’s stance at a media briefing in the capital Dhaka on her recent Geneva visit after joining the World of Work Summit.

She said that during a meeting in Geneva with the president of South Africa and current chair of BRICS, Cyril Ramaphosa, she conveyed Bangladesh's interest to join the bloc.

“The decision of joining the group is to not depend on any particular party. If anyone takes an alternative financial arrangement, we are with him. I will do what is good for Bangladesh,” she said.

Earlier, junior Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam told the local Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo on Tuesday that Bangladesh has applied for the BRICS membership.

*SM Najmus Sakib contributed to this report from Bangladesh