Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he was actively pursuing Beijing's backing to join the recently expanded BRICS coalition.
In an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua on Saturday, Maduro expressed his goal to ensure "Venezuela's accession to BRICS."
Maduro asserted that Beijing could help Venezuela, a country with big oil reserves, to join the economic bloc. He also noted that the alliance could play a crucial role in shaping a new world order.
"The enlarged BRICS could be defined as the great engine for the acceleration of the birth of a new world, a world of cooperation where the global south has the leading voice," said Maduro.
"The BRICS nations accelerate the de-dollarization of the world, the emergence of a new international financial system, of a new just economic order."
Maduro arrived in China last Friday, marking his inaugural state visit since 2018. He is anticipated to remain in China until Thursday. China is Venezuela's main creditor, providing funds for the diplomatically isolated socialist country that is facing high inflation.
BRICS expands membership
In its annual summit last month, the BRICS alliance agreed to grant full membership to six additional countries. On January 1, 2024, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will welcome Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates into the group.
"BRICS has embarked on a new chapter in its effort to build a world that is fair, a world that is just, a world that is also inclusive and prosperous. We have consensus on the first phase of this expansion process and other phases will follow," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
China regards BRICS as a "balancing force against" multinational organizations it perceives as being influenced by the U.S. and other Western nations. It says the expansion boosts BRICS' economic influence, helping empower the Global South.
Chinese President Xi Jinping — an advocate for the bloc's expansion — described this membership expansion as "historic." He said BRICS countries were determined to prove unity and cooperation with the broader community of developing nations.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva advocated for Argentina's inclusion. Meanwhile, Egypt's close economic connections with Russia and India resulted in its invitation.
The inclusion of oil giants Saudi Arabia and the UAE underscored their shift from alignment with the U.S. It is also a testament to their aspirations to become independent global players.
Russia and Iran united in a joint effort to combat sanctions and diplomatic isolation led by the U.S. It has resulted in stronger economic bonds between the two nations, particularly following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in the summit remotely due to an international warrant for alleged war crimes. He emphasized that BRICS were not in competition with anyone.
"But it's also obvious that this process of the emerging of a new world order still has fierce opponents," said Putin.
Meanwhile, South Africa says Ethiopia's inclusion aligns with its aspiration to strengthen Africa's global influence.
However, persistent tensions might still exist within the group. While some members, like China, Russia and Iran, aim to establish it as a Western counterbalance, others maintain strong ties with the U.S. and Europe.
Despite representing a substantial portion of the world's population and global GDP, these internal divisions have hindered BRICS from becoming a significant global player. For example, the border tension between China and India is still shown by an ongoing standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Himalayas.