BEIJING, March. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- President Xi Jinping has given a joint interview to Xinhua News Agency and media from the other four BRICS countries ahead of his first state visit abroad. Besides his trip to Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo, the president is also scheduled to attend the fifth leaders’ meeting of BRICS, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. During the Interview, he talked about China’s bilateral relations with other countries, China-Africa relations, cooperation within the BRICS and China’s opening-up and reform policies.

Xi Jinping’s first state visit as Chinese President will first take him to Russia. During the interview, Xi Jinping said his coming trip reflects that China attaches great importance to Sino-Russian relations. China and Russia share the most important strategic cooperative partnership. The two sides should enhance mutual trust and support on issues concerning each other’s core interests. They should also expand pragmatic cooperation in international and regional affairs to safeguard world peace. Xi added he is looking forward to exchanging views with Russian President Putin.

On relations between China and South Africa, President Xi said the two countries share much in common as emerging markets and developing countries. Both depend on each other for their own development opportunities and external strategies. The cooperation between the two sides is of increasing strategic influence and global significance.

President Xi also called the ties between China and Africa a win-win cooperation. And no matter how the international situation changes, China will, as always, support and push the peace, development, unity and equal participation in international affairs of African countries.

On relations with India, President Xi said peaceful development and cooperation are in the common interests of the two largest developing countries. Both sides should seize the opportunity to take care of each other’s core concerns and properly handle their problems and differences.

Regarding Brazil, the Chinese president said Sino-Brazil relations are at their all time best. He believes the bilateral cooperation will help better achieve sustainable development in both countries and enhance their abilities to resist international economic risks.

On the cooperation between BRICS countries, President Xi said it’s conducive to the promotion of a more balanced world economy, more complete global economic governance, and more democratic international relations. The global society must see the changes in the world economic structure, and raise the voices of emerging markets and developing countries. China is looking forward to positive messages from the meeting at Durban.

President Xi also answered questions on domestic affairs. He said the Communist Party of China must strengthen self-construction, and constantly improve the abilities of running the country by scientific, democratic means and in accordance with the law. He said China must make new breakthroughs in reform and not just copy development models of any country.

(Source: cntv.com)