BRICA is a multilateral cooperation mechanism envisioned and initiated by China Federation of Industrial Economics (CFIE) to unite leading industrial and commercial organizations worldwide for the common prosperity along the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
With over two decades of cooperation experience with international partners, CFIE noticed that information asymmetry has continued to be a major roadblock for world economic growth. We share a constant desire with our domestic and international partners for an interactive and effective multilateral communication and cooperative mechanism among major industrial and commercial organizations worldwide that could help to better leverage our collective expertise, resources and networks to promote common prosperity.
In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” grand initiative (known as the “Belt & Road” Initiative) which is later elaborated by the Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road released in 2015.
The CFIE leadership perceives the Belt and Road Initiative as a perfect chance to realize the long-cherished wish to construct a multilateral mechanism and thus take the initiative to prepare for the establishment of a platform called BRICA which has gained support from both the government and the business community.
BRICA is a voluntary international business alliance with no political objectives.
On June 16th, 2016, BRICA was officially launched in Beijing.
On April 1-2, 2017, the First Round of the Belt & Road Industrial and Commercial Conference “Egypt...Your Gateway to BRICA” co-hosted by CFIE and EBA (Egyptian Businessmen Association) was held in Cairo, Egypt, marking the first high-level BRI business event. It attracted over 500 high-level business representatives from 20 BRICA member countries. CFIE alone took a delegation which covers around 100 representatives from leading Chinese enterprises covering a wide range of sectors. Business world & government representatives, economists, academics, ambassadors, bankers were among participants.
With the aim to explore business and investment opportunities in Egypt, Africa and BRICA member states while discussing how to avail the BRICA cooperative framework to facilitate economic, trade and industrial capacity cooperation among BRICA countries, the conference provided a valuable platform for in-depth discussion with special focus on Suez Canal Economic Zone & Egypt Vision 2030. The sectoral workshops were held on industrial parks & investment, banking & finance, energy, transportation & logistics, e-service.
This organization shall be known as the “Belt & Road Industrial and Commercial Alliance”, which is abbreviated as “BRICA” (hereinafter referred to as “the Alliance”).
The Alliance shall be a non-governmental and non-profit international organization.
The Alliance shall follow the Silk Road Spirit of “peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit” and cooperate with the renowned industrial and commercial organizations in countries and regions committed to the “Belt & Road Initiative” for the purpose of establishing a platform for information inter-connectivity and promoting the industrial investment and trade cooperation among the countries and regions along the routes. The Alliance shall accomplish the following missions:
(1)integrating the resources of members, leveraging collective advantages and establishing an interactive mechanism while focusing on key economic, trade and industrial parks in the major cities of the countries and regions along the routes for the purpose of establishing bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms and promoting multi-level industrial cooperation through various channels;
(2)gathering information on economic policies, resources, industrial investment and trade cooperation, establishing an internet-based working platform and an information database of potential cooperation projects for the purpose of promoting efficient sharing of information and effective match-making of cooperation projects, and advancing policy coordination, information intercommunication, financial integration and industrial cooperation.
The Alliance shall be composed of renowned industrial and commercial associations or other economic organizations (namely the BRICA council member organizations) who have applied to join.The Alliance sets up a Honorary Chairman position and establishes a Council, working committees, a Secretariat and a think-tank.
The Council is the highest organ of power of the Alliance. The Council shall approve or grant the Secretariat the permission and authority to review and approve the membership applications made by relevant organizations and other major issues.The Council shall be composed of Co-Chairs, an Executive Chairman and Council Members. Co-Chairs shall be assumed by the heads of the BRICA council member organizations. The Executive Chairman shall be assumed by Chairman/Vice Chairman of China Federation of Industrial Economics(CFIE). Council membership
shall be held by one and only above-Secretary-General level senior official from each BRICA council member organization. The Secretary-General of the Alliance shall be the ex-officio member of the Council.
Council member organizations shall actively establish councils for their own countries to enroll members, organize activities and provide services in accordance with the Articles of the Alliance and action plans developed by the Council.
The Alliance may set up several working committees as may be necessary for policycoordination, financial services, legal affairs and business cooperation.
The Secretariat is the executive organ of the Alliance and is responsible for day-to-day work of the Alliance. The Secretariat shall be headed by a Secretary-General and its office shall be set in Beijing, China.
Council member organizations shall recommend relevant experts in their countries to form a Belt & Road Industrial Cooperation Think-Tank. The think-tank shall provide intellectual support such as policy studies and project consulting services for the Alliance.
The scope of the Alliance’s business shall be:
(1)conducting bilateral or multilateral economic and trade exchanges, such as mutual visits, studies, fairs and exhibitions;
(2)utilizing the online information service platform of the Alliance to gather and release information on the countries of the BRICA council members, including their economic policies and investment environment; to establish an information database of projects; to provide consulting services on policies, laws, finance and accounting;
(3)providing information on industrial synergy and trade cooperation as well as services of investment consulting, investment attraction and business match-making based on the established networks within the Alliance;
(4)collaborating with banks, insurance companies, stockbrokers and other institutions via professional fund management teams in a concerted effort to establish financial platforms such as the Global M&A Fund so as to provide comprehensive financial services and diversified financial support for the Alliance and its council members in promoting industrial cooperation, corporate innovation and economic transformation and upgrading;
(5)organizing council meetings, annual meetings, forums and seminars, and solving problems in cooperation through negotiation;
(6)establishing the Belt & Road Industrial Cooperation Think-Tank as the Alliance’s intellectual support to analyze and forecast bilateral and multilateral economic and trade policies and provide assessment, guidance and suggestions for investment and financing projects and the construction of industrial parks;
The council member organizations shall be entitled to the following rights:
(1)to speak and vote at the meetings of the Alliance, and to make recommendations for other events;
(2)to gain access to the online information service platform of the Alliance, and to publish and obtain information through the platform;
(3)to seek business cooperation opportunities via the established networks within the Alliance;
(4)to commission the Alliance to hold specific seminars on issues of concern;
(5)to commission the Alliance to conduct marketing surveys and to provide legal consulting services on its business plans;
(6)other rights as granted by the Council of the Alliance.
The council member organizations shall fulfill the following obligations:
(1)to abide by the Articles of the Alliance and other regulations;
(2)to actively participate in the meetings and events organized by the Alliance;
(3)to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Alliance;
(4)to provide authentic and reliable data and information for the Alliance;
(5)other obligations as approved by the Council of the Alliance.
The sources of funds shall include donation, government subsidies, services charges, interest and other legitimate income.
The funds shall be used for fulfilling the Alliance’s missions and shall be used within the limits set by the Articles and its relevant detailed rules.
The Articles shall take effect upon review and approval by the Council of the Alliance.
The Council may supplement or amend the Articles.
The right to interpret the Articles shall remain with the Secretariat.
1. Council for International Business Relations Support (IBRS) Armenia
2. Republican Confederation of Entrepreneurship of Belarus (RCEB) Belarus
3. Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI) Brazil
4. China Federation of Industrial Economics (CFIE) China
5. Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong) (CGCC) Hong Kong, China
6. Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic (SPCR) Czech Republic
7. Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) Denmark
8. Egyptian Businessmen’s Association(EBA) Egypt
9. Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) Finland
10. Comité France-Chine (CFC) France
11. Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF) France
12. Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Georgia
13. Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (HCC) Germany
14. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) India
15. Iran-China Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ICCCI) Iran
16. Jordanian Businessmen’s Association Jordan
17. Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan (CICK) Kazakhstan
18. Latvia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Latvia
19. Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists (LPK) Lithuania
20. The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) Malaysia
21. Mongolian Economic Cooperation Confederation (MECC) Mongolia
22. Mongolian Employers’ Federation (MONEF) Mongolia
23. General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (GCME) Morocco
24. Netherlands Council for Trade Promotion (NCH) Netherlands
25. Board of Investment (Prime Minister’s Office) (BOI) Pakistan
26. Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR) Romania
27. All Russia Public Organization (Business Russia) Russia
28. National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
29. Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) Turkey
30. Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ULIE) Ukraine
31. Amfori – International organization based in Brussels