Since 2009, the BRICS has grown to become a major international force at a summit in Russia. What began as a five-member party encompassing Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is today expanding with the inclusion of five new people and eight new partner places. In the upcoming times, yet more nations may be a part of the EU.
This expansion raises important questions about whether the BRICS may challenge the dominance of traditional power like the US, UK, and European Union.
Analysts are also unsure of how united the union actually is and whether a perception of division prevents the bloc from expanding. BRICS is truly different:
- Saudi Arabia and Iran square off as local forces in the Middle East.
- Egypt and Ethiopia have had various wars around the Nile’s management.
- The conflicts between China and India are also known.
However, the strength of the bloc may be in its ability to assemble this diverse group of nations that are not fully integrated. In these times of growing fragmentation, building soft international institutions may be the key to navigating global politics.
The current conflict between the US and China may be viewed from a different perspective. The conflict between the nation’s two largest economy is likely to grow in the upcoming times, influencing the current world order. China’s statement of a record US$ 1 trillion industry deficit for 2024 and its robust 5 % economic growth support the idea that its development model is an alternative to US-sponsored liberal policies that have dominated the world for the past four decades.
Democratic leaders and economic elites around the world are closely monitoring the US-China conflict, and the majority of nations attempt to maintain an adjacent strategy. Brazil and Peru are two of the main nations that have traditionally been in the US sphere of influence, but they have since been slowly orienting toward China because of the financial opportunities the Asiatic large offers. Another recently in China’s circle, such as Vietnam, are working to preserve or increase their relations with the US.
China is definitely the force that keeps the BRICS together. Without China, it wouldn’t have come into existence. All BRICS places share two essential qualities:
- They are World South nations, not a traditional dominant group.
- They have considerable economic ties with China, particularly through trade relationships.
Belt and road
The standard BRICS tale emphasizes globalism, assistance and fair global development. However, the organization serves mainly as a platform from which China can work its influence and power. China accomplishes this through the use of the union as a unique industry platform in line with the Belt and Road Initiative, both rhetorically and through practice.
BRICS seeks to place itself as an alternative to US ideology, promoting free trade and internationalism. This tale serves as a powerful endorsing tool for the group worldwide in times of political turmoil and the development of reactionary forces.
However, the group’s diversity also poses major difficulties as it attempts to compete with the US-led world order. It’s unlikely that the BRICS will develop into a single military force like NATO or a free trade area like ASEAN or the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement ( previously NAFTA ). The team’s variety prevents it from acquiring these features.
China is aware of this and effectively makes use of the BRICS to expand its business opportunities and global influence. It strikes a good balance between a shaky ally and a more hardened military or economic empire. Contrary to way during the Cold War era, when the two nations, the US and the Soviet Union, had well-defined spheres of influence, the current world order appears to be shaped by shed, interconnected global alliances.
Beijing’s prominence within BRICS is distinct and unlikely to change. China accounts for two-thirds of both the team’s GDP and intra-BRICS business. The state is the main business lover for Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iran. China even makes major purchases in those countries. With an accumulated investment of more than USU$ 10 billion, Russia is the largest victim of Chinese foreign direct investment within the BRICS.
The majority of BRICS part states are even directly or indirectly involved in Belt and Road. It is true that the main Belt and Road jobs are not occurring in the BRICS nations but rather, rather, are occurring in Central, South, and Southeast Asia. But Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Iran also sponsor Belt and Road activities. Brazil has become a crucial partner because of its position as a major food vendor to China, despite not being an official Belt and Road representative.
The statistics show that expanding Brics is one of China’s overseas policy objectives. The nation uses the organization to venture both intellectual and financial influence. Donald Trump’s plan to implement trade tariffs on many places, including China, is likely to enable China to deepen this coverage. There is a strong chance that the most recent incident with Colombia, in which the US senator reportedly threatened to impose taxes if Colombia continued to protest imprisonment flights, will encourage more nations to get closer trading associations with China.
Strategic connections
Some analysts properly identify the polarization of the BRICS between those who favor non-aligned states and those who favor stability. The anti-Western team, led by Russia, favors a confrontational attitude toward the US while the non-aligned nations, such as Brazil and India, favor a more nuanced view.
Experts suggest that the US should try to influence interior BRICS debates by establishing closer ties with non-aligned nations. However, this ignores the fact that China is not only the de facto leader of the BRICS but also has a clear preference for a subtle view of the West based on multilateralism and free deal. It’s therefore unlikely that the BRICS may adopt a confrontational attitude toward the West despite what Russia may need.
China is aware that a non-confrontational strategy is the best way to draw more nations and strengthen the BRICS as a free group that supports more democratic global leadership.
Thus far, this approach appears to be working.
Gabriel Huland is a training fellow in the School of International Studies, University of Nottingham.
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