<p>China on Monday expressed its support for India in hosting this year’s BRICS summit and said it will work with New Delhi to strengthen the cooperation among the five-member grouping of emerging economies.</p>.<p>India has assumed the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Chairmanship for 2021 and is set to hold this year’s summit.</p>.<p>On February 19, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar launched India’s BRICS 2021 website at the BRICS Secretariat at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi.</p>.<p>Asked about India assuming the BRICS Chairmanship this year, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here that Beijing backs New Delhi in hosting the summit.</p>.<p>"The BRICS is a cooperation mechanism with global influence consisting of emerging economies and developing countries. In recent years, it has seen greater solidarity and deeper practical cooperation and greater influence,” Wang said.</p>.<p>BRICS is now a “positive, stable and constructive force” in international affairs, he said, adding that China attaches importance to this mechanism.</p>.<p>"We are committed to deepening strategic partnership within it to consolidate solidarity and cooperation,” Wang said.</p>.<p>"We support India hosting this year’s meeting and will work with it and other members to strengthen communication dialogue and consolidate the three-pillar cooperation, expand BRICS plus cooperation and work for greater progress under BRICS and also help the world to defeat Covid-19, resume economic growth and improve global governance,” he said.</p>.<p>Wang, however, did not specify whether Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend the summit expected to be held later this year.</p>.<p>Xi has attended all the annual summits of the five-member bloc in the past, including the one last year hosted by Russia in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part.</p>.<p>China’s announcement backing India to host the BRICS summit came as the armies of the two countries began disengagement of troops locked in over eight-month-long standoff in eastern Ladakh.</p>.<p>Both countries have reached a mutual agreement for disengagement of troops from the most contentious area of North and South Pangong Lake.</p>.<p>Military commanders of both armies held the 10th round of talks on the Chinese side of the Moldo/Chushul border meeting point on February 20.</p>.<p>A joint statement issued at the end of a lengthy round of talks said the two sides positively appraised the smooth completion of disengagement of frontline troops in the Pangong Lake area, noting that it was a significant step forward that provided a good basis for resolution of other remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector.</p>
<p>China on Monday expressed its support for India in hosting this year’s BRICS summit and said it will work with New Delhi to strengthen the cooperation among the five-member grouping of emerging economies.</p>.<p>India has assumed the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Chairmanship for 2021 and is set to hold this year’s summit.</p>.<p>On February 19, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar launched India’s BRICS 2021 website at the BRICS Secretariat at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi.</p>.<p>Asked about India assuming the BRICS Chairmanship this year, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here that Beijing backs New Delhi in hosting the summit.</p>.<p>"The BRICS is a cooperation mechanism with global influence consisting of emerging economies and developing countries. In recent years, it has seen greater solidarity and deeper practical cooperation and greater influence,” Wang said.</p>.<p>BRICS is now a “positive, stable and constructive force” in international affairs, he said, adding that China attaches importance to this mechanism.</p>.<p>"We are committed to deepening strategic partnership within it to consolidate solidarity and cooperation,” Wang said.</p>.<p>"We support India hosting this year’s meeting and will work with it and other members to strengthen communication dialogue and consolidate the three-pillar cooperation, expand BRICS plus cooperation and work for greater progress under BRICS and also help the world to defeat Covid-19, resume economic growth and improve global governance,” he said.</p>.<p>Wang, however, did not specify whether Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend the summit expected to be held later this year.</p>.<p>Xi has attended all the annual summits of the five-member bloc in the past, including the one last year hosted by Russia in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part.</p>.<p>China’s announcement backing India to host the BRICS summit came as the armies of the two countries began disengagement of troops locked in over eight-month-long standoff in eastern Ladakh.</p>.<p>Both countries have reached a mutual agreement for disengagement of troops from the most contentious area of North and South Pangong Lake.</p>.<p>Military commanders of both armies held the 10th round of talks on the Chinese side of the Moldo/Chushul border meeting point on February 20.</p>.<p>A joint statement issued at the end of a lengthy round of talks said the two sides positively appraised the smooth completion of disengagement of frontline troops in the Pangong Lake area, noting that it was a significant step forward that provided a good basis for resolution of other remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector.</p>