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SHANGHAI, Aug. 2-- Trade ministers from BRICS countries agreed to work together to oppose protectionism and increase mutual investment Wednesday. In Shanghai, the trade ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa concluded their annual meeting in advance of the leaders' summit later this year. Ministers agreed to firmly oppose protectionism with annual measures and safeguard the multilateral trade system, calling on other countries to do the same. As members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), they encouraged more countries to participate in the organization's work, urging the institution to show more commitment to the least developed countries. "Safeguarding the multilateral trade system and combating protectionism serve the interests of emerging and developing economies," Zhong Shan, China's minister of commerce, said Tuesday. The WTO has projected that this year's global trade will grow at 2.4 percent, up from last year's 1.3 percent. A large portion of the WTO's cautious optimism comes from a recovering global economy, however, protectionism shows no signs of abating. According to the Ministry of Commerce, China imported products worth 70.2 billion U.S. dollars from BRICS countries in the first half of 2017, up 33.6 percent year on year. Contributing nearly one-quarter of global economic output and half of world economic growth, BRICS nations play a significant role in the global economy and governance. | 
