Changing Dynamics of Global Influence

Seeking more political and economic influence in a global system dominated by the United States and Europe, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) have on Thursday agreed to expand their membership to include six new countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Iran. The expansion is seen as a victory for China, which has been pushing for it as a way to counter Western influence.

The addition of Saudi Arabia and the UAE is significant because they are major oil producers. Their membership could help to diversify the BRICS’s economic base and make it less reliant on China. Egypt and Ethiopia are also important players in Africa, and their membership could help to expand the BRICS’s influence in that region.

Iran’s membership is more controversial. The country is under sanctions from the United States and other Western countries for its nuclear program. However, China and Russia have been strong supporters of Iran, and their backing helped to secure its membership in the BRICS.

Together, the 11 countries have a population of some 3.7 billion people but comprise five democracies, three authoritarian states, two autocratic monarchies and a theocracy — among them Saudi Arabia and Iran, sworn enemies until a few months ago.

The expansion of the BRICS is seen as a challenge to the West. The group has a combined GDP of over $27 trillion. This makes it a major force in the global economy.

The West is concerned that the BRICS could become a rival bloc to the Western-dominated G7. However, it is too early to say whether this will happen. The BRICS countries have different interests and goals, and it is not clear how they will be able to work together effectively.

The grouping is heterogenous and has no clear political coherence except in the desire to reshape the current global financial and governing system to one that is more open, more varied and less restrictive — or, less subject to American politics and the power of the dollar.

The expansion of the BRICS is a significant development in global politics. It will be interesting to see how the group evolves in the years to come. It is not clear how international relations, global economics and geopolitics would unfold in the future but it definitely is a sign of the growing influence of China and Russia in the global economy. The expansion of the BRICS is a reminder of the changing dynamics of global power.