According to officials familiar with the matter, India and Brazil are resisting China's recent attempts to expand the BRICS Bloc of emerging markets. The expansion is seen as a move by China to increase its political influence and counter the United States. During preparatory talks for an upcoming summit in Johannesburg, objections have been raised by several countries regarding the potential inclusion of Indonesia and Saudi Arabia in the alliance. Reports indicate that China has been advocating for this expansion during the meetings.

The expansion of the BRICS alliance has attracted the interest of numerous other nations, leading to concerns in the West that it may evolve into a rival power to the United States and the European Union. While Brazil is apprehensive about expansion due to these concerns, India is pushing for stringent rules governing the conditions under which other nations could align themselves with the group without formal expansion. Any decision regarding expansion will require consensus among the members, who are scheduled to meet from 22-24 August.

The main objective of the meeting is to demonstrate the bloc's ambitions of becoming a significant political and economic force. The possibility of establishing a common currency has been discussed, although substantial progress towards this goal is not anticipated at this time. However, Russian President will be participating in the meeting virtually to avoid the execution of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for him.

Despite BRICS members choosing not to join the Group of Seven in blaming and sanctioning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the New Development Bank established by BRICS has frozen Russian projects, and Moscow has been unable to access dollars through the bloc's shared foreign currency system.

Regarding the expansion of BRICS, Russia's position is not firm, according to Fyodor Lukyanov, head of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, which advises the Kremlin. While Russia is not particularly enthusiastic about expansion, it is willing to follow the lead of the other member countries and has no intention of blocking any decisions made regarding expansion.

The BRICS bloc, formed in 2009-2010, has faced challenges in exerting significant geopolitical influence despite its collective economic power. With draft rules for admission to the group developed in response to India's opposition to China's push for expansion, these guidelines are expected to be discussed and adopted during the upcoming leader's summit next month. India suggests considering the inclusion of emerging economies and democracies like Argentina and Nigeria instead of Saudi Arabia, which has a dynastic and autocratic rule.

In support of this proposal, Brazil is actively working towards maintaining peace within the BRICS bloc and avoiding any direct conflicts or challenges to the G7. Brazil proposes the creation of "observer" and "partner country" categories, allowing new nations to progress through these categories before potentially becoming members. Brazil is also willing to assist Indonesia in starting the process of joining the bloc.

Image source: Global Times