Leaders of the BRIC Countries show signs of solidarity at the G-8 meeting in Hokkaido, Japan

China's foreign media is reporting Hu Jintao's participation in the G-8 summit this week as a milestone, calling it a "major diplomatic move which produces important achievements in many aspects for China."

Click here to access the full story from Xinhua-- China's State Media

Through the G8 outreach session in recent years, communications between the world's developed and developing countries have been conducted on key issues to coordinate stance and seek solutions to key issues, a move deemed conducive to the South-North cooperation and the settlement of global problems reports Xinhua.

It is interesting how China's state media describes Hu Jintao's presence at the G-8. Western press has been very critical as to why China, India and other emerging markets are not included in the some of the more important meetings which only the actual G-8 member countries can attend.

It is clear developing countries have gained some influence in the international arena. The global food crises, energy crises, climate change and other important issues can no longer be left to debate soely amongst the world's industrialized and wealthiest nations.

Described both in this upate and in my post yesterday, developing countries are increasingly forming their own strong connections with one another. The leaders of the BRIC countries; Brazil, Russia, India and China can be seen below expressing their solidarity at the end of the G-8 summit. These four emerging market giants want to make it clear that on certain issues they stand united and that when united their voice should not and can not be ignored.

After all, accounting for only the populations of the BRIC countries, these four nations represent roughly 2.7 billion people...

Chinese President Hu Jintao (2nd R), Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (2nd L), Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (1st L) and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (1st R) pose for a photo as they meet at Toyako in Hokkaido, north Japan, on July 9, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)