East-West divide

Liu Guchang, Executive Director of the China Foundation for International Studies, said the conflict between the global economic governance system under developed countries' dominance and the changing landscape of economic power is becoming sharper. The West frequently creates obstacles for emerging economies and developing countries and transfers its crisis to the latter, by using current international economic and financial systems.

"Strengthening global governance is an urgent need of BRICS as well as an obligation that emerging economies should fulfill. Governance reforms will not only benefit the BRICS nations, but also bring confidence to world economic recovery and growth," said Liu.

At the New Delhi summit, the BRICS leaders opposed the introduction of trade and investment barriers on the grounds of developing a "green economy," saying all nations were entitled to choose their paths toward sustainable development based on each country's stage of development, national strategies and priorities.

Representing developing countries' stance, the BRICS group is going to play a unique role in the reforms of the international order and global financial systems, Liu said. However, he explained, strengthening cooperation among BRICS nations doesn't mean confronting developed countries. "The best way to work is always cooperation, not confrontation, between the South and the North," said Liu.

Common stand

At the New Delhi summit, leaders of the BRICS countries also stated their common stances on global issues, including climate change, global security and stability, sustainable development and hotspots such as the Iranian nuclear issue and current situation in Syria. Experts said BRICS could create a beneficial external environment for their development by promoting communication and coordination on these issues.

"We recognize the vital importance that stability, peace and security of the Middle East and North Africa hold for all of us," the leaders said in the Delhi Declaration. The five countries confirmed their commitment to achieving a "comprehensive, just and lasting settlement" of the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of the universally recognized international legal framework, including UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Ultimately Liu Guijin, a former Chinese Ambassador to South Africa, said that ensuring the sustainable growth of their own economies would be the BRICS countries' biggest contribution to world economic recovery. "Without the BRICS economies' high-speed growth, the future of world economic development would be more depressing," he said.