Since 2008, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China, the BRIC countries have met every year to discuss topics of global importance. At their third summit (峰会) in China in 2011, the leaders invited South Africa to join, thus becoming the BRICS. The four foreign ministers met on the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly in the fall of 2016. Their leaders, first meeting was held in Sapporo on the eve of the G8 Toyako-Hokkaido Summit in 2008, and their first standalone (单独的) summit was the following year in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Since then, the BRJCS ministers responsible for foreign affairs, finance and the economy, trade, agriculture and health have met. At the official's level, there have been meetings held to discuss science and technology, national security, competition and statistics.

While the concept "BRICS" was first created by Jim O'Neill of Goldman Sachs to refer to the investment opportunities of the rising economics, the leaders' meetings transcend the financial topics to involve many different summit-level topics relating to global governance, such as development, peace and security, energy and climate change and social topics.

The mission of the BRICS Information Center is to serve as a leading independent source of information and analysis on the BRICS interaction and institutions. Documentation from the BRICS and research and reports will be published on this website as they become usable.

Special attention will be paid to the interaction and each other's influence of the BRICS with the world,   and including the BRICS relationship with the Group of Eight (G8), Group of Twenty(G20).and other different summit institutions and broadly many-sided organizations.

Take a walk down the street of any city and you are sure to pass signs for KFC, McDonald's, and Pizza Hut. In 2010, there are fast food restaurants in over 650 cities throughout China. Last year, the fast food industry in China grew 13%, compared to just 2.9%in the USA. This year, there were over 560 Pizza Huts, 1,200 McDonald's, and 3,000 KFCs throughout the country.

Why is fast food so popular in China? The people behind KFC, McDonald's, and other companies realized the need for adaptation. You can find items in Chinese KFCs that you cannot find in the West. That is because they not only realize that Chinese palates (味觉) are different, but also willingly spend the time and money to create new food specifically for those palates. This localization of an international brand makes fast food eaters in China feel as if they are part of a larger community, yet can enjoy their regional tastes.

Curiosity also played heavily into the popularization of fast food restaurants in China. There's no better way to get people to enter your restaurant than to have something different that everyone is curious to try. There is also a general idea that things from the West are better, or if something is good enough for western people, it is good enough for Chinese people. This could also have encouraged Chinese people, especially the young, to frequently go to fast food restaurants.

People are willing to spend a bit more on these fast food because of the general concern for food safety that seems to be becoming more and more important to most Chinese people. While there are still countless food shops on the roadside that have no government control over safety standards, there are many people who demand higher health standards. These foreign fast food restaurants that follow western standards of food safety attract this crowd. Until they stop providing what the Chinese people obviously want, they will continue to remain popular.

A Seasonal Guide to Copenhagen

With each season offering a new range of experiences, there's never a bad time to visit Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.

Winter

Winter in Copenhagen is a great time to search for the abstract Danish feeling of "hygge", which roughly translates to an atmosphere of warm and comfortable companionship. The Copenhagen winter can be freezing in a very literal（字面）sense, but that just means it's time to search out some fun in the great indoors.

Spring

It's easy to spot when spring has arrived in Copenhagen—just look out for all the Danish people out in the streets！The Scandinavian winter is generally pretty rough, so when that warmth is felt in the air the locals can't help but celebrate. The funfairs（游乐场）and parks of Tivoli Gardens reopen. May sees temperatures rise enough for carnivals and street parties in true Danish style.

Summer

A busy schedule of festivals, events and markets typify the season, and the parks and watersides of Denmark's capital will be packed with people almost every day. At the height of summer, Denmark's Midnight Sun means your explorations of Copenhagen can go well into the evening, with many attractions and bars staying open until the sun begins to set.

Fall

There's one very good reason to visit Copenhagen in the autumn, and that's because winter is coming. The autumn months are the last chance to enjoy everything the city has to offer. Tivoli Gardens throws a three-week Halloween extravaganza and October's Night of Culture showcases the best of Danish art, music and literature. The autumn weather also means splendid sunsets that bathe the city in a soft orange glow—a painting by nature that you won't soon forget！