China Faces Opposition to Rapid BRICS Expansion From India and Brazil, Report

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China’s Expansion Plans for BRICS Face Resistance from India and Brazil, Say Officials

BRICS countries India and Brazil are reportedly opposing China’s intentions to speedily expand the bloc, according to insiders. The report suggests that India and Brazil have unique reasons to hesitate over China’s ambitious plans to enhance the group’s geopolitical clout rapidly, hinting at a desire to temper the expansion process.

India and Brazil Challenge China’s Plans to Broaden BRICS, Insiders Reveal

Informants privy to the BRICS’ impending composition talks reveal India and Brazil’s resistance against China’s haste to grow the association, which also consists of Russia and South Africa currently.

A Bloomberg report indicates that both New Delhi and Brasília have voiced their disagreements during the preliminary discussions leading up to the Johannesburg summit for the organization. During the meeting scheduled for August 22 – 24, the incorporation of new members will be a primary subject.

China has been a fervent advocate for enlargement at these meetings, according to unnamed officials. Potential members include Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, with numerous other countries either expressing interest or actively applying for inclusion.

The sheer volume of interested parties has sparked fears in the West that the coalition might pose a significant challenge to the US and the EU. Brazil aims to sidestep enlargement partially due to such anxieties, while India advocates for stringent rules for the inclusion of other countries without formally expanding BRICS. Both countries have shown interest in considering “observer” status for applicants at the summit, officials have noted.

South Africa, the hosting country, is open to different membership models but doesn’t necessarily reject the expansion, as noted by two officials. “The expansion of BRICS membership was approved at last year’s leaders’ meeting, and increasing the number of BRICS members is the political consensus of the five BRICS countries,” China’s foreign ministry declared in a statement.

Johannesburg’s Decisions will Need Member Consensus

Fyodor Lukyanov, the head of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, which advises the Kremlin, revealed that Russia does not have a strong stance on BRICS expansion. He expressed that Russia is broadly supportive but lacks significant enthusiasm, stating that they will not obstruct any decision.

Any decision at the upcoming August summit would require a consensus among the current members, convening during a period of escalating friction between Washington and Beijing, along with geopolitical strife involving Russia due to severe Western sanctions over Ukraine’s invasion.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office recently announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not attend the summit in person, following the issuance of an arrest warrant and an indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the Ukraine conflict.

The report also disclosed that India’s opposition to China’s expansionist agenda led to the drafting of admission rules, which will be deliberated at the leaders’ summit next month, as per two Indian officials.

In an attempt to dodge confrontation within BRICS, Brazil is working to counter Chinese pressure to transform the bloc into a platform that opposes the G7, according to a Brazilian official. Brazil is proposing the creation of “observer” and “partner country” categories for aspirants as a step before granting full membership.

Do you believe BRICS will extend invitations to new members at the Johannesburg summit? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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