China Invites South Africa To Join BRIC Group

China Invites South Africa To Join BRIC Group

The Chinese government has invited Africa's largest economy, South Africa, to join the four-member "BRIC" grouping of fast-growing emerging markets.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said BRIC has accepted South Africa as a full member of the group, which currently includes Brazil, Russia, India and China.

South African President Jacob Zuma has been invited to attend a summit of BRIC leaders that Beijing will host next year.

According to the World Bank data for 2009 South Africa is the world's thirty-first largest economy and is less than a quarter the size of the smallest BRIC economy, Russia.

REUTERS/Qasim