Here’s what the world is saying about BRICS+
After the inclusion of six new members states, here is what the world is saying about BRICS+. And it’s not all positive.
With the inclusion of six new states into BRICS+, bringing the total membership to 11, Russia and China lauded South Africa for its political mastery. This week’s summit also garnered an interest from the rest of the world rarely seen before. But what are they saying about the BRICS+ expansion now, and how will this impact South Africa, the nation that made it all happen?
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The New York Times reports that the inclusion of the staunchly anti-Western nation of Iran puts BRICS+ firmly in opposition to the US now. India and Brazil lobbied to maintain friendly ties with the US, however, the BRICS+ expansion can be viewed as a win for China and Russia.
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This means BRICS+ is now made up of six democracies, two autocracies, two autocratic monarchies and one theocracy. Manoj Kewalramani, a China studies fellow says, “The BRICS+ group is going into unchartered territory with new actors having varied interest. It could make the bloc even more unwieldly and ineffective,” he concluded.
NEW LIFE FOR BRICS+
Global affairs analyst Michael Bociurkiw, speaking to Al Jazeera, said the BRICS+ expansion will breathe new vitality into the bloc. “Each continent got a new representative. One South American, two African, but Ethiopia was a surprise inclusion. We suspect the inclusion of Iran was due to manoeuvring by Russia as they are close allies. Saudi Arabi and UAE should provide a welcome cash injection into BRICS+ and their New Development Bank,” said Bociurkiw.
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Bociurkiw concluded by saying that the rhetoric coming out of the BRICS Summit from Brazil, Russia and China was anti-US and anti-dollar. This suggests a fragmentation of world politics, a counterpoint to the US and its allies. The US will not win back the loyalty of these Global South nations without a lot of effort.
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Experts say it’s still unclear how the new 11-member BRICS+ group would increase their clout globally. It all depends on how well it will be able to unite, as the latest members appear to be even more disparate than before.
Two countries widely touted to gain an invitation but, in the end, did not were Indonesia and Mexico.
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