China to host two-day first BRICS Sherpas meeting in Nanjing

China will host the first BRICS Sherpas Meeting in Nanjing in the country's Jiangsu Province.

Briefing media about the event to be held on February 23 and 24, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Wednesday that State Councilor Yang Jiechi will attend and address the opening ceremony.

"This is the first official event China will host under its chairmanship which will gather more than 100 people, including Sherpas, diplomatic envoys in China and the New Development Bank representatives. The Sherpas mechanism, as a main vehicle to coordinate and promote the BRICS cooperation, primarily serves to make political preparations for the BRICS Summit," Shuang told media at his daily briefing.

He said the focus of the first Sherpas meeting will discuss BRICS cooperation in 2017, especially in the political, economic, and cultural sectors.

"Focusing on the theme of "Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future" and considering the current international situation, we believe that this meeting will help chart the course for the BRICS cooperation throughout the year and ensure a good start for China's BRICS Chairmanship," he said.

China assumed the group's chairmanship on January 1. The BRICS Summit will be held in Xiamen, Fujian Province in September.