Through Feb. 23-24, 2017, the first BRICS Sherpa meeting convened in Nanjing of Jiangsu province. State Councilor Yang Jiechi attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Sherpas and Sous-Sherpas of BRICS countries, foreign diplomatic envoys in China as well as representatives from the New Development Bank were present. Prof. Ye Qing, SIIS Assistant President and Prof. Niu Haibin, deputy director of the Center for American Studies attended the meeting.