Don’t Fall For China’s Rhetoric – BRICS Isn’t NAM

Relevance: GS2 - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

(Source: Indian Express, 08/24/23)

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Why in the news?

The BRICS group of major emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa is holding its 15th heads of state and government summit in Johannesburg between Aug. 22 and Aug. 24.

Why BRICS isn't NAM?

• Linking BRICS to the historic Bandung Conference of 1955 is misleading. Bandung aimed to distance itself from East-West conflict and rivalry, unlike BRICS, led by the Sino-Russian alliance
• While BRICS seeks to promote multipolarity and counter the unipolar moment..
• The first large-scale Asian–African or Afro–Asian Conference also known as the Bandung Conference was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, which took place on 18–24 April 1955 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The conference's stated aims were to promote Afro-Asian economic and cultural cooperation and to oppose colonialism or neocolonialism by any nation.
• Challenging Western dominance: China and Russia's motives are evident in their push to transform BRICS into a platform challenging Western dominance.
• China’s ascend: With China's rise as the world's second-largest economy and increased influence in the Global South, the notion of Chinese capital as altruistic and benign comes under scrutiny. Critics argue that China's economic forays might be akin to neocolonialism is worse than Western imperialism, causing apprehensions in developing countries.
• Against the objective of equitable development: The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Global South aimed to address disparities between developing and developed nations, not engage in East-West rivalry. This transformation contradicts the original spirit of the Global South and its quest for equitable development.

Which nations want to join BRICS and why?

• According to the 2023 summit chair South Africa, more than 40 countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Algeria, Bolivia, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Gabon, and Kazakhstan have expressed interest in joining the forum.
• As an Alternative: They view BRICS as an alternative to global bodies viewed as dominated by the traditional Western powers and hope membership will unlock benefits including development finance, and increased trade and investment.
• Many countries aim to bolster their bargaining power by aligning themselves with the BRICS group.
• Dissatisfaction with global order: Dissatisfaction with the global order among developing nations was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic when life-saving vaccines were hoarded by rich countries.
• Diversification and de-dollarisation: Bolivia wants to reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar for foreign trade, instead turning to the Chinese yuan and Algeria seeks to diversify its economy and strengthen partnership with China and other countries.

Concerns

• Political intentions of China: The expansion of BRICS membership is driven by China's political intentions to mobilize non-Western nations in rivalry with the US. China aims to leverage BRICS for bilateral compacts with the US, enhancing bargaining power.
• Absence of common values: Unlike some other alliances, the BRICS lacks a clear set of common political values. Its primary motivation is to counterbalance the West's dominance, but beyond that, the member countries have varying interests and priorities.
• Developmental Focus without Clear Alternatives: The BRICS positioned itself as a development-oriented group without offering concrete alternatives to the existing global system. The developmental vision of the BRICS is underdeveloped.
• Research and innovation: Research spending is decreasing as a percentage of GDP in most BRICS countries, except China. This reduction threatens the effectiveness of rebalancing efforts without research innovation.
• BRICS Expansion: The push to expand the BRICS group might impact its effectiveness. It can undermine group coherence. Larger membership often reduces shared goals and can lead to managing numerous bilateral differences, as seen in SAARC and SCO.

FAQs

MCQ

Question: Consider the following statements: (UPSC-2016)

1. New Development Bank has been set up by APEC.
2. The headquarters of New Development Bank is in Shanghai.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2