BEIJING, January 31. /TASS/. China’s authorities actively support Russia’s chairmanship of BRICS and will expand cooperation with members of the group on all tracks, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said.

"China will provide active support to Russia’s chairmanship. We are ready to interact with all [interested] parties on the principles of openness, tolerance and mutual benefit," the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted him as saying.

As the senior diplomat specified, Beijing aspires to deepen and expand its interaction with BRICS member states in all fields, facilitate the formation of mechanisms of communication with them and ensure the high level of cooperation. He noted that, thanks to joint efforts, the union had significantly enhanced its international clout by promoting peace and justice worldwide.

The BRICS group has expanded twice since its creation in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China. In 2011, South Africa joined the four founding nations. In August 2023, six more countries, including Argentina, were invited to become BRICS members at the conclusion of the Johannesburg summit. However, Buenos Aires declined the invitation in late December of last year. Meanwhile, the remaining five new members - Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia - became full-fledged members and fully joined in BRICS’ activities on January 1, 2024.