President Xi Jinping has called on the BRICS countries to jointly defend multilateralism and the multilateral trading system and advance greater BRICS cooperation, as trade and tariff wars waged by a certain country severely disrupt the world economy and undermine international trade rules.

Xi made the remarks while participating in a virtual BRICS Summit from Beijing on Monday. He was joined by other leaders including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as leaders from Egypt, Iran, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, and representatives from India and Ethiopia.

Xi described BRICS countries as the forefront of the Global South amid rampant hegemonism, unilateralism and protectionism, saying that this is a critical juncture for them to act on the BRICS Spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation.

Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS has developed into a group of 11 full member countries and 10 partner countries.

The BRICS cooperation mechanism is now considered to be an important platform for solidarity and cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries.

Xi called for upholding multilateralism to defend international fairness and justice.

"History tells us that multilateralism is the shared aspiration of the people and the overarching trend of our times. It provides an important underpinning for world peace and development," he said, noting that the Global Governance Initiative that he recently proposed is aimed at galvanizing joint global action for a more just and equitable global governance system.

"We should follow the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, and safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, so as to cement the foundations of multilateralism," Xi said.

He also called for efforts to actively promote greater democracy in international relations and increase the representation and voice of Global South countries.

"We should improve the global governance system through reform so as to fully mobilize resources from all quarters and tackle more effectively the common challenges for humanity," Xi said.