India and Brazil are opposing China‘s attempt to swiftly expand the BRICS group of emerging markets to increase its political power and fight the US.
The countries highlighted concerns during preparatory meetings for a conference next month in Johannesburg, where Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa will consider potentially extending the group to include Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.
According to the officials, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are secret, China has frequently advocated for expansion during those sessions.
Dozens of other countries are also clamoring to join the alliance, raising Western concerns that the organization is morphing into a counterweight to Washington and the European Union.
Brazil wants to avoid expansion because of these concerns, while India wants rigorous regulations on how and when additional countries might draw closer to the group without actually joining it.
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Any decision will require unanimity among the members who will convene on August 22-24.
According to the authorities, India and Brazil intend to utilize the summit to examine the possibility of bringing in additional countries with observer status.
South Africa supports examining other membership possibilities to accommodate this but does not necessarily reject expansion, according to two officials.
“The BRICS leaders meeting last year authorized the expansion of membership, adding more members to BRICS is the political consensus of the five BRICS countries,” China’s foreign ministry said in a response to Bloomberg.
The summit intends to highlight the bloc’s ambitions to become a strong political and economic power.
The organization has already explored the possibility of establishing a unified currency, though major progress toward that goal seems unlikely.
The meeting takes place at a time when tensions between Washington and Beijing are high, and South Africa is concerned about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attendance.
He will participate online so that South Africa does not need to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for him.
BRICS countries have declined to join the Group of Seven in criticizing and penalizing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, despite the fact that the BRICS-founded New Development Bank suspended Russian projects and Moscow has been unable to obtain dollars through the bloc’s shared foreign currency system.
Russia does not hold a firm position on expanding BRICS said Fyodor Lukyanov, head of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, which advises the Kremlin.
“It’s broadly in favor of BRICS expansion, but without any huge enthusiasm. It’s following the others’ lead. We won’t block any decision.”
Formed officially in 2009-2010, the bloc has struggled to have the kind of geopolitical influence that matches its collective economic reach.
Current BRICS members represent more than 42% of the world’s population and account for 23% of global gross domestic product and 18% of trade.
According to two Indian officials, preliminary conditions for admittance to the group were created in response to India’s opposition to China’s quest for expansion.
The recommendations are anticipated to be considered and implemented during the leaders’ conference next month, according to officials.
According to one of the officials, India has proposed that BRICS members turn to growing economies as well as democracies such as Argentina and Nigeria to extend the organization rather than Saudi Arabia, which has dynastic and autocratic control.
According to the official, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed potential Saudi admittance concerns with the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman last month. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment.
The Saudi government has not responded to queries.
Joining BRICS would support Crown Prince Mohammed’s efforts to diversify his country’s economy, which has brought it closer to Russia and China in recent years.
China is the kingdom’s largest oil buyer, and the OPEC+ coalition is dependent on relations with Russia.
“The Saudis are having their Asian moment right now,” said Saudi analyst Salman Al-Ansari, who said bilateral trade is expected to grow exponentially.
According to a Brazilian official, Brazil is trying quietly to prevent direct confrontation inside the BRICS group and to reject Chinese temptation to turn it into a hostile entity that threatens the G7.
According to the person, China has reaffirmed its push for enlargement at all preparation talks, including two last week that took place remotely.
Brazil proposes establishing “observer” and “partner country” categories.
The official stated that new nations would go through these categories before being considered for membership and that Brazil would assist Indonesia in starting the process.
