On May 23, the 6th BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting was held virtually in Xiamen. Chair by XIAO Yaqing, Minister of Industry and Information Technology of China, the Meeting was attended by South African Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel, Brazilian Vice Minister of Ministry of Economy Daniella Marques Consentino, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, and Indian Minister of State of Commerce and Industry Sh. Som Parkash.

Minister XIAO said, President XI Jinping attaches great importance to BRICS cooperation and stresses that BRICS countries need to firm up belief, brave the storms and waves, and take real action to promote peace and development, uphold fairness and justice, and advocate democracy and freedom, so as to inject stable and positive energy into international relations in a period of turbulence and transformation. Since its inception in 2015, the BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting has been dedicated to strengthening industrial cooperation for common development - we have made joint efforts in establishing the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR), launching the BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center, and exploring the BRICS Center for Industrial Competences as well as BRICS Start-up Events. China is willing to deepen cooperation on New Industrial Revolution and promote sustainable development featuring more strength, health and resilience together with all parties.

Minister XIAO pointed out that faced with the combined impacts of major changes and a pandemic unseen in a century, the Chinese government has taken active measures to balance the pandemic prevention and control with economic and social development, prioritizing the stable growth of industrial economy. Efforts have been made to facilitate the circulation of national economy, support SMEs and maintain the functioning of enterprises, industrial chains and logistics in key areas. With strong momentum of high-tech manufacturing sector, the long-term positive dynamic of industrial economy remains unchanged, fully illustrating the resilience and vitality of China's industrial system.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China stands ready to cooperate with BRICS counterparts to  enhance  cooperation on industrial and supply chains, make use of existing initiatives such as BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center and BRICS Center for Industrial Competences, set up cooperative networks, promote free flow of funds, goods, personnel, technologies and services, in a bid to build a community with shared interests in industrial and supply chains. We call for concerted efforts to expedite digital transformation through integration of Industrial Internet, 5G and other emerging technologies with manufacturing sector; agree to learn from each other and collectively create an open, fair and just environment for development; and encourage cooperation to promote low-carbon transformation of industry, facilitate R&D and application of energy-saving technologies and jointly explore the way towards sustainable industrial development.

The industry ministers attending the Meeting appreciated the constructive role of the Chinese Presidency and welcomed the progress of BRICS industrial cooperation achieved this year. The Meeting conducted an in-depth discussion on the theme of Deepening Innovative Cooperation on New Industrial Revolution for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Stronger, Healthier and more Resilient Manner and adopted the Joint Declaration of the 6th BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting.

(Source: Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of People's Republic of China)