On September 17, 2025, the BRICS Forum on Partnership on New Industrial Revolution 2025 – Sub-Forum on Digital Ecosystem, held recently in Xiamen, Fujian Province, gathered over 200 participants from China, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, and other BRICS and “BRICS+” nations. Guided by the Department of Information Technology Development under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China and organized by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), the event aimed to expand digital collaboration and foster a robust industrial ecosystem across member states.

In his opening address, Xin Guobin, Vice Minister of MIIT, underscored China’s commitment to high-quality digital industry development and deeper cooperation with BRICS partners in digital infrastructure, industrial digitization, and technological innovation. He highlighted the recently launched BRICS Digital Ecosystem Cooperation Network as a pivotal driver for inclusive growth. Xin also put forward a four-point initiative: strengthening policy coordination and standards alignment, accelerating infrastructure connectivity such as 5G and computing networks, enhancing collaboration in AI and 6G R&D, and optimizing ecosystem development through the Cooperation Network. He called on BRICS members to pool wisdom and share experiences in advancing digital interconnectivity.

The event featured the launch of several deliverables, including CAICT’s Digital Public Infrastructure Solution Set: Observations from Chinese Practice and the “BRICS Premium Products · Cross-Border Win-Win” Global Strategic Partnership. A key outcome of the forum was the release of the BRICS Digital Ecosystem Cooperation Network Action Plan, outlining four pillars:

  • Information Exchange – facilitating policy dialogue and knowledge sharing
  • Platform Interconnection – building online and offline service platforms
  • Resource Circulation – enabling the flow of talent, technology, and capital
  • Industrial Integration – deepening supply chain collaboration and digital public infrastructure cooperation

The forum also included keynote sessions on BRICS development opportunities and digital ecosystem development, where representatives from Indonesia’s research agency, Iran’s technology institute, Nigerian ministries, and Chinese tech firms including ZTE and Ant Group shared their own advancements in AI, digital healthcare, and industrial digitalization. A following roundtable focused on synergizing finance and the digital industry to empower the BRICS+ digital economy, with participants from Russia’s T-Bank and other institutions discussing cross-border financing and digital infrastructure. The event culminated in a project roadshow showcasing AI education solutions, digital twins, and green cooling technologies, showcasing BRICS strengths in digital technology integration and signaling growing corporate commitment to market development through financial partnerships.

All in all, the convening of this BRICS Digital Ecosystem Forum reflects new developments in global digital economic cooperation. The establishment of this cooperation model marks a new phase for emerging economies in formulating digital technology standards and shaping governance rules.

 

Chinese source of the article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3xvlWZ6XDLjmhzHSUo9reA