Xi kicks off BRICS summit, calls for holistic approach to fight terrorism

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a "holistic approach" to fighting terrorism in all its forms, ahead of the BRICS leaders meeting on Monday.

Delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum here, Xi asked BRICS countries to take a constructive part in the process of resolving geopolitical hotspot issues and make due contributions.

"I am convinced that as long as we take a holistic approach to fighting terrorism in all its forms, and address both its symptoms and root causes, terrorists will have no place to hide," he said.

His remarks came days after US President Donald Trump hit out at China's close ally Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists.

BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - is a grouping of the five emerging economies. The BRICS summit brings together the leaders of these countries.

India is expected to raise its concerns over terrorism strongly at the BRICS Summit, hosted by China, which had said New Delhi's concerns over Pakistan's counter-terror record is not an "appropriate topic" to be discussed at the forum.

PTI