Xiamen Embraces Summit Opportunities

At a press briefing held on January 3， 2017， Geng Shuang， spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs， announced that China had officially assumed the rotating BRICS presidency on January 1， and Xiamen in southeast Chinas Fujian Province will host the Ninth BRICS Summit in September.

After Beijing， Shanghai and Hangzhou， Xiamen will become another Chinese city to host an important international event. Preparations have begun in the city， 2，200 km away from the capital， soon after the Spring Festival holiday （January 27 to February 2）.

BRICS appeal

On the first weekend after the holiday， greetings in English rang out one after another in community study space in Xiamens Jinshan neighborhood. During the citys coldest season， learning English is becoming hot.

How signifi cant is the BRICS Summit for Xiamen？ “It will bring a golden opportunity for the development of the city，” said Pei Jinjia， Party chief of Xiamen.

By hosting the G20 Summit， Hangzhou amazed the world； the city has gained more international recognition， and the spillover effect is still ongoing. Undoubtedly the BRICS Summit in Xiamen will help improve the citys image and core competitiveness.

The summit will elevate Xiamens development into a global platform and provide an unprecedented opportunity for the city to become more international. It will provide Xiamen with the chance to create a world-class business environment， bolster internationalization， boost economic cooperation and cultural exchange with other BRICS countries and those along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road， and improve the citys environment.

The summit is already bringing some benefits to the people of Xiamen. Chen Suzhen， a resident of Jinshan community， has clearly felt the changes. “There has been a clampdown on unapproved construction projects， and the public square and community activity center have become cleaner，” Chen said.

Like Chen， more and more people in Xiamen have felt the changes， despite the summit still being a long way off. “We will work hard to make the city cleaner and more beautiful and make it more comfortable to live in， so that hosting the BRICS Summit will benefit local people and boost economic growth，” said Pei.

Why Xiamen？

Dubbed a “garden on the sea，” the city is a modern harbor and beautiful tourist destination on the southeast coast. It also has a rich cultural heritage and an important place in Chinas modernization.

Xiamen started trade and cultural exchange with many countries more than 500 years ago. In the 18th century， the city became a key trading port and an important hub on the Maritime Silk Road. Over the past years， commerce and cultural exchange between Xiamen and the countries of Southeast Asia， Central Asia， the Middle East and other BRICS nations have grown.

As one of Chinas fi ve special economic zones， Xiamen has been taking a lead in the countrys reform and opening up. It has witnessed great economic and cultural changes， becoming one of the most economically competitive and civilized cities in the country.

The government and the public will join hands for collective strength， showcasing the city as innovative， coordinated， green， open and sharing， the municipal government authorities said.

“Everyone is a host.” This is the action guideline for local residents who will work as volunteers during the Summit.