China seeks to expand industrial cooperation with BRICS countries in artificial intelligence and clean energy.

247 - China reinforced on Tuesday (17) its willingness to deepen cooperation with BRICS countries in emerging sectors, with emphasis on artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and clean energy sources such as solar and hydrogen. The information was published by People's Daily.

During the BRICS Forum on Partnership in the New Industrial Revolution 2025, held in Xiamen, Fujian province, China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Li Lecheng, highlighted the strategic importance of the bloc for the global economy. “BRICS now represents almost half of the world's population and about 40% of global GDP. The group plays a major role as a significant factory, a vast market, and a large-scale cooperative platform that drives inclusive economic globalization,” he stated.

Progress since the creation of the BRICS innovation center.

The proposal for an innovation center in Xiamen was presented by President Xi Jinping during the 12th BRICS Summit in 2020. Since then, the project has made significant progress in policy coordination, personnel training, and industrial project development.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, 107 industrial projects have already been secured under the partnership, with investments totaling 50,6 billion yuan (US$7,1 billion). Furthermore, a center for the promotion of artificial intelligence in the bloc was created last year, and it is now preparing a platform for sharing advanced language models and high-quality databases.

"The goal is to reduce technological barriers and promote interoperability of digital infrastructure," Li said, adding that China will encourage companies linked to new energy vehicles, photovoltaics, wind power, and hydrogen to expand their international cooperation.

Expanded cooperation in technology and industry

Aleksey Vladimirovich Gruzdev, Russia's Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, stated that the forum has already surpassed its role as a dialogue mechanism, consolidating itself as "a community of global experts and professionals that contributes to the technological leadership of the BRICS countries and shapes global industrial development." He emphasized that almost 48% of Russia's foreign trade is now linked to the group's countries, highlighting the potential for cooperation in biotechnology.

Faisol Riza, Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Industry—which became a full member of BRICS this year—observed that the industrial sector represents more than 16,9% of the country's GDP, but faces challenges related to disruptions in global supply chains and geopolitical uncertainties. "Accelerating the green and digital transformation has become essential, and that is why the forum in Xiamen is so important," he said.

Digitization and 6G on the BRICS horizon

Yang Jie, president of China Mobile, highlighted that there are great opportunities for shared digital transformation among the countries of the bloc. He revealed that the company has already established joint artificial intelligence laboratories in countries such as Indonesia and Brazil, developing algorithms and models specific to local demands.

In Latin America and North Africa, China Mobile also supports the construction of smart factories. "We will deepen cooperation with our partners in the international alignment of AI and 6G standards, building interconnected infrastructure to strengthen the digital backbone of the BRICS countries," he stated.