The 9th BRICS Summit to be held in Xiamen, China, aims to deepen pragmatic cooperation among member countries and strengthen governance to address global challenges, according to the Chinese government. The BRICS bloc is composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

With 100 days to go until the summit, Pei Jinjia, Secretary of the Xiamen Municipal Committe of the Communist Party of China (the highest municipal authority), said one of the priorities of the Chinese government is to strengthen South-South cooperation. He pointed out the meeting should provide an important platform for achieving this goal.

“Expanding South-South cooperation will help advance economic globalization and strengthen economic partnerships,” he told a news conference in Xiamen.

The summit, which will bring together the heads of state and government of the five BRICS member countries, will take place on September 3-5, under the theme “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future.”

Xiamen

Located in the province of Fujian on China's Southeast coast, Xiamen was one of the first regions in China to attain special economic zone status in 1980. The main characteristics of China's special economic zones are openness to foreign investment, tax incentives, and industrial diversity aimed mainly at exports.

Xiamen is a major port city, and its main industries include fishing, shipbuilding, machinery and equipment manufacturing, telecommunications, and financial services. Another local highlight is a technology park focused on the software industry.

Pei Jinjia said the city is ready to host international delegations. “This city is an important economic and tourist hub, a pioneer of [economic] openness and reform,” he said.