The cooperation among the BRIC countries is not only the need to jointly cope with external environmental constraints, but also the need to maintain their respective sustainable development. Cooperation among the BRIC countries mainly focuses on the following eight aspects.
(1) Deepen economic cooperation. The BRIC countries each have their own advantages in resources, markets, labor force, science and technology, and are highly complementary. China and India support the economic development of Russia and Brazil with their market and cheap labor advantages, while Russia and Brazil can meet the energy and resource needs of China and India. In recent years, the economic and trade cooperation between the four countries has gradually deepened. According to the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics, the total trade volume among the four countries reached US$150 billion in 2008, 9.8 times that of 2000, while the total global trade volume only more than doubled during the same period. Take China as an example. In 2009, China surpassed the United States to become Brazil's largest trading partner, largest export market, and second largest source of imports. It is India's second largest trading partner, largest source of imports, and India's third largest source of imports. A large export market, it is also Russia's fourth largest export market and has surpassed Germany to become Russia's largest source of imports.
(2) Reform the financial mechanism. The current financial mechanisms mainly refer to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. They were established in the middle to late 20th century by a few industrialized developed countries and can only reflect the distribution of economic power at that time. In the context of the current continuous development of emerging countries, the voting rights and representation mechanisms of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, but the internal security consultation mechanism of the four countries have not yet been established, and the cooperation between the four countries in non-traditional security fields also needs to be gradually deepened. Security cooperation among the four emerging powers can not only promote comprehensive cooperation among the four countries, but is also extremely important for global security and regional stability.
(3) External challenges faced by ***. Like other countries in the world, the external threats faced by the BRIC countries include global issues such as food crisis, energy shortage, climate change, and environmental pollution. As four large economies, the challenges faced by the four countries are more severe, and their cooperation is more meaningful in solving these problems. Take climate change, for example. The four countries’ rapid economic growth is paying an environmental price. Brazil's forests have been destroyed, China's urban air quality has deteriorated rapidly, India has been threatened by floods for a long time, and Russia is threatened by high temperatures that have never happened in a century.
(4) Strengthen mutual learning of experience. The BRIC countries face many common domestic challenges in their development process. The four countries can (5) develop emerging industries in scientific and technological innovation. Although the BRIC countries are basically developing countries, each still has advantages in certain areas. Brazil has technological and experience advantages in clean energy development, India has advantages in the IT industry and biopharmaceuticals, Russia has advantages in the aerospace industry, and China has advantages in heavy industrial production. The four countries can complement each other's technological advantages and cooperate to open up new economic and technological industries, such as aircraft manufacturing, software development, clean energy and other industries, forming a new global economic growth point. Due to the huge markets and talent reserves of the four countries, such cooperation will produce obvious economic and social benefits.
(6) Strengthen political mutual trust. The BRIC countries have different political systems, different religious cultures, and have had conflicts in history. Currently, there is still competition in terms of international influence. Therefore, the political mutual trust among the four countries needs to be further strengthened. The four countries are all emerging countries with influence on global affairs and are important forces in maintaining regional and international peace and stability. The four countries should follow the principles of mutual respect and seeking common ground while reserving differences, make full use of existing mechanisms, deepen political mutual trust through dialogue and exchanges, eliminate barriers, and make the BRIC countries an international model of mutual respect and equal consultation.
(7) Promote security cooperation. The BRIC countries are all rapidly developing major countries, and they all face varying degrees of security dilemmas. This security dilemma includes not only the security competition between the BRIC countries and other major powers and neighboring countries, but also the security concerns within the BRIC countries. Currently, China and Russia are conducting security cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and China and India also have bilateral security dialogues. 3. Obstacles to Cooperation among the BRIC Countries
Although the BRIC countries have a basis and prospect for cooperation, they still cannot get rid of each other. Limitations in political systems, development methods, history and culture, and economic competition, as well as restrictions from countries outside the group, have also added obstacles to the cooperation among the four countries.
(8) Promote cultural exchanges. The four countries belong to different civilization systems, with different historical backgrounds, cultural traditions, and ways of thinking, which has caused a certain degree of obstacles to the all-round cooperation among the four countries.
At the same time, the four countries are also major cultural and tourism countries, and have unique advantages in cultural exchanges. We should actively expand exchanges and cooperation in the fields of culture, education, health, tourism, sports and other fields to promote mutual understanding between the people and lay a solid foundation for deepening all-round cooperation among the four countries.
According to World Bank statistics, in 2005, agriculture accounted for 11% of the GDP of the BRIC countries. Among them, India accounts for 19%; China accounts for 12%; 70% of Indians live in rural areas, and 60% of Chinese people live in rural areas. This has caused all countries to face problems such as industrial structure adjustment and urbanization. Another example is the issue of scientific and technological innovation and education. Measured by the number of patents and the number of science and technology doctorate recipients, the education level and scientific and technological innovation capabilities of the BRIC countries are still far behind developed countries. This is the common challenge they face. Due to the huge economic scale and population size of the BRIC countries, any outbreak of domestic problems will have a chain reaction in these countries, affecting their own and other countries' economic and social development. It is necessary for the four countries to increase cooperative research and exchange experiences and practices in these common fields.