Network of Partner Cities on New Industrial Revolution launched at BRICS forum in Xiamen

The Network of Partner Cities in New Industrial Revolution was officially launched on Wednesday at the BRICS New Industrial Revolution Partnership Forum held in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province.

The network was jointly initiated by 11 cities, including Durban in South Africa, Lagos in Nigeria, Belgrade in Serbia, Almaty and Astana in Kazakhstan, Kaposvar in Hungary, and the Chinese cities of Xiamen, Nanjing, Wuhan, Yinchuan and Chengdu.

The network's focus is on green and low-carbon development, digital transformation, industrial chain collaboration, and talent cultivation. It aims to create a new platform for international inter-city cooperation through regular communication mechanisms, industrial matchmaking and the sharing of innovation resources.

"Using cities as key nodes, we aim to build the Network of Partner Cities in New Industrial Revolution. This approach will enable precise alignment of local resource advantages and industrial needs, effectively integrate innovation resources and manufacturing capabilities, as well as market channels across cities. This will ultimately reduce the costs of cross-border cooperation for businesses," said Zheng Hong, director of the Center for International Economic and Technological Cooperation of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and director of the China Center for BRICS Industrial Competencies.

Jointly hosted by the MIIT and the Fujian provincial government, the forum includes an opening ceremony, a main forum, parallel sessions, as well as related events.

Network of Partner Cities on New Industrial Revolution launched at BRICS forum in Xiamen

The world faces a potential food security crisis unless action is taken on shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, warned director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Qu Dongyu on Tuesday in Rome.

The FAO said in a statement that serious disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have hampered deliveries of oil, liquefied natural gas, and fertilizers, pushing up agricultural input costs.

Seed prices are also rising because seed production relies on fertilizers. Higher energy costs, the agency added, have driven up operating expenses for agrifood systems worldwide.

Regional tensions have escalated since the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran in late February, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical strategic corridor handling one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade, as well as significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and vital fertilizers, have throttled global energy flows and caused fertilizer prices to spike.

Disruption in Strait of Hormuz could trigger global food security crisis: FAO