Fuzhou, June 29 (Xinhua) by Dong Jianguo -- The BRICS High-level Forum on Sustainable Development opened in Fuzhou on June 29. As a critical BRICS professional event, the two-day forum focused on the theme of “Shaping the Future of the BRICS Value Chain”.

With a main forum, four sub-forums and an industry matchmaking session, the forum created an exchange and collaboration platform for nearly 400 representatives from government departments, financial institutions, research institutions, industry associations, industrial parks, and well-known enterprises in BRICS countries, as well as international and regional organizations.

Zhao Chenxin, Vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said at the opening ceremony that the forum aims to strengthen communication and exchange among BRICS countries and seek pragmatic industrial cooperation. The forum explored open and innovation-oriented partnerships on such topics as solidarity against COVID-19 and health cooperation, sharing development opportunities of the digital economy, the interconnectivity of the supply chain and the industrial chain, and achieving green and low-carbon development. He said that BRICS countries should work together to strengthen public health governance, promote pragmatic cooperation in emerging areas, including digital economy and low-carbon and green development, maintain the security of the supply chain and the industrial chain, and shape the future of the BRICS value chain.

At the main forum, the participants delivered keynote speeches on “Strengthening Open and Innovation-driven Cooperation to Boost Post-pandemic Economic Recovery”, “Deepening Collaboration in Commodity Production and Marketing to Promote Economic Connectivity and Win-win Development" and “Actively Responding to Climate Change for a Sustainable Future”. The participants also shared their insights in sub-forums on solidarity against COVID-19, digital economy, industrial chain and supply chain, and green and low-carbon development.

         The forum was co-hosted by the Department of International Cooperation of the NDRC, Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government, the International Cooperation Center of the NDRC, and Fujian Provincial Development and Reform Commission.