Source: The New Age; Author: Tian Xuejun

The Brics comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is an important engine for the world economy recovery and growth, and is considered the hope of the world. Africa has witnessed rapid development in recent years and is therefore regarded as "the continent of hope." With shared destiny, Brics and Africa now enjoy even broader prospects for cooperation.

The fifth Brics summit will be held in Durban, South Africa on March 26-27. This will complete the first round of Brics summitry and marks the first such summit held in Africa. The theme of the summit is Brics and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration, and Industrialization.

During the summit, Brics leaders will also have a dialogue with their African counterparts to discuss issues such as infrastructure development on the continent, highlighting the African elements in the Brics cooperation.

Brics is a new international platform for emerging economies to pursue development, cooperation and change. The annual meeting of Brics heads of state started in 2009, and ever since then, mutually-beneficial cooperation among Brics countries have been enhanced and the international influence of the bloc as a whole has been uplifted.

Now it is indeed carrying "heavy weight", as it covers 42% of the world's population and 21% of GDP, and contributed around $2.2 trillion (R20.4 trillion) of economic growth in 2012.

In the beginning, Brazil, Russia, India, and China were grouped as the "Bric". South Africa joined the club during the 2011 summit in Sanya, and has therefore expanded the geographical representation of the group and added African elements into it.

Both Brics and African countries attach great importance to the summit in Durban and hope to seize all opportunities to promote all-round exchanges and cooperation when Brics opportunities mix with African opportunities.

Cooperation is the common pursuit of Brics and African countries in the political sphere. The world is moving further towards multipolarity and the overall strength of emerging economies and developing countries is increasing. With enhanced mutual trust and closer coordination, Brics and African countries will be able to make international relationship more just, democratic, and balanced.

Rapid growth is the outstanding feature of economic cooperation and trade among Brics countries.

It is estimated that Brics trade with Africa and direct investment on the continent will grow three times in the next five years, and the Brics trade with Africa will account for one-third of the continent's total trade volume five years later, compared with one-fifth in 2010. In-depth understanding is the major achievement of people-to-people exchanges between Brics and African countries. People in Brics and Africa share time-honoured friendships.

China has a history of interaction with Africa for more than 2000 years. Many Indian people are now living in eastern and southern Africa.

Brazil has strong historical links with Portuguese-speaking countries in Africam, and Russia is playing an ever-vibrant role in areas such as poverty reduction, education and medical care that concern people's livelihoods on the continent.

South Africa is the gateway for Brics to have exchanges and cooperation with Africa. The summit has already created a Brics fever in Africa and an African fever in Brics countries. This will certainly enhance the friendly sentiments and mutual understanding among the people.

China and other Brics countries are regarded as the engine that drives economic development, or to say the "hope of the world". At the same time, African countries are entering a new period of fast growth – Africa is praised as the "continent of hope".

I firmly believe that with more African elements on the Brics platform, Brics and Africa are now facing a shared destiny.

The future prospects for cooperation are promising.

Tian Xuejun is ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of South Africa