BRICS Business Forum highlights confidence in China's growth prospects

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming BRICS Business Forum highlights the international business community's firm confidence in the prospects of China's economic growth and desire to further strengthen cooperation with the country, an official said Friday.

In addition to the BRICS countries, the forum has attracted active participation from 13 countries including Kazakhstan, Argentina, Thailand and Indonesia, Zhang Shaogang, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), told a press conference.

Most of the participating firms are world-renowned enterprises and pillar enterprises of BRICS countries, including 40 Fortune 500 enterprises, covering traditional industries such as energy, finance and manufacturing, as well as emerging industries such as the internet, big data, e-commerce and new energy, said Zhang.

Accounting for 23 percent of the global economy, 18 percent of trade in goods and 25 percent of foreign investment, BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa -- form an important force that cannot be ignored in the world economy, Zhang said.

The forum, which fully demonstrates the vitality and attractiveness of BRICS economic and trade cooperation, will be held on June 22 in Beijing both online and offline, on the sidelines of the 14th BRICS Summit, according to the CCPIT.