BRICS faces rift over push for new members
BRICS faces rift over push for new members
JOHANNESBURG: BRICS leaders meeting in South Africa this week will consider expanding the five-nation bloc at a time of great interest in the group that accounts for a quarter of global wealth.Opinions differ between Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa over accepting new members into the loosely-defined club of major emerging economies that is seeking an alternative to the Western-led international order.
Here are some key issues as the BRICS convene in Johannesburg:
South African officials say more than 40 countries have shown some level of interest in joining the BRICS from across the ‘Global South’, a broad term referring to nations outside the West.
Like the BRICS members themselves, these countries represent varying political systems, uneven economic strength, and contrary diplomatic positions, and are as diverse culturally and geographically as Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan and Vietnam, to name a few.
Many are traditionally non-aligned nations, such as Indonesia and Ethiopia, and some are openly hostile to the United States and its allies, such as Iran and Venezuela. Some 50 heads of state and government will attend the summit, officials say.
Analysts say China, the most powerful of the BRICS economically, is eager to rapidly grow the club into something of a counterpoint to the G7 group of wealthy democracies.
Similar stories
Comments are closed.