Niu Haibin: BRICS as a Primary Channel for Global South

Niu Haibin    source：CFR

The BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, saw the consolidation of the bloc as a primary channel for the Global South in dealing with world affairs. After its significant expansion in the last summit, the enlarged group of nine full members decided to adopt a BRICS partner country category. Though the Kazan declaration did not list the invitees by name, it was widely reported that thirteen countries were approved as BRICS partner countries. In keeping with the motto “BRICS and Global South: Building a Better World” for the BRICS dialogue at Kazan, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declared the motto for next year’s BRICS summit in Brazil as “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance." 

The puzzle for the West is why the BRICS is so attractive to countries in the Global South. The first reason is that the BRICS is an emerging major multilateral forum that is open to emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs)(EMDCs). BRICS has welcomed EMDCs by developing an institutional expansion and partnership approach to engage with those countries, which is quite different from the exclusive club model of the Group of Seven (G7). The influence of the G7 makes it difficult for the Group of Twenty (G20) to engage with smaller EMDCs in an institutional way.  

Secondly, BRICS countries support a shared vision by championing international cooperation and focusing on sustainable development. One main motivation for countries applying for membership to the BRICS is the diversification of their diplomatic and economic relationships. 

It is impressive that Chinese President Xi Jinping identified the BRICS as a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South countries. Besides the strategic consensus among BRICS members and institutional developments such as the New Development Bank, it will be imperative for the most capable members of the group to keep this channel open for the Global South. Considering the active role that China, Brazil, and India have played in supporting the Global South in world affairs, closer ties are likely to develop between BRICS member states and the Global South in the future.