BRICS Industry Ministers attend video meeting to discuss on 5G, AI

Industry Ministers of BRICS countries have attended a video meeting to discuss ways to boost cooperation in areas including 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI). As per chinese state media, the meeting adopted a joint statement on cooperation in new industries such as 5G, AI and the industrial Internet, among the five members bloc which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. 

Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xiao Yaqing said that Beijing is actively considering the establishment of a BRICS innovation base in China, in order to strengthen practical cooperation with the BRICS. 

The video meeting comes ahead of the proposed meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers in early next month, arranged by the current



BRICS chair Russia. China's push for cooperation in 5G among BRICS countries may be seen in the backdrop of China's efforts to push Huawei internationally with regard to development of 5G infrastructure, despite the company being embroiled in controversies in many countries.

India and China are currently seeing their bilateral relations undergoing a rough phase. This has also impacted the economic ties between the two countries with India taking the path of self-reliance depending on imports for necessary items only, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and strategy of 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat'. India has also banned some chinese apps and put tighter scrutiny for foreign investments from its neighbouring countries including China.