Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu attends a virtual special meeting of the BRICS countries' foreign ministers on July 20, 2023. Photo: from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

China is willing to work together with BRICS countries to implement the consensus reached by the countries' leaders to promote the membership expansion process and enhance cooperation among emerging markets and developing nations, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said on Thursday.

While attending a special virtual meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, Ma said China looked forward to holding in-depth discussions with BRICS partners on various important issues to achieve fruitful results and elevate BRICS cooperation to a new level during the upcoming 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced earlier in July that the BRICS summit, scheduled from August 22 to 24, will be held "physically" after a hiatus of three years.

The expansion of BRICS, a common currency within the bloc and ensuring food and energy security are among key topics of the agenda, per media reports, as an increasing number of countries have applied to join BRICS or expressed interest in doing so, including Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Argentina, Iran, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

In an exclusive interview with Global Times, South African Ambassador to China Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele said he expected the in-depth discussions on tackling climate change and energy transition, on skill sharing of technologies and innovation, and on coordinating growth, stability, and global recovery post-pandemic.