The 16th BRICS Summit recently held in Kazan, Russia — the first summit following its expansion — was momentous. The event culminated in the issuance of the Kazan Declaration, a document encapsulating the positions and consensus of leaders of participating countries on numerous international issues.
The declaration also heralded promoting cooperation in various areas with far-reaching worldwide impact, particularly strengthening economic and financial cooperation among BRICS countries. Notably, the BRICS leaders proposed joint projects such as pushing for reform of the current international financial architecture, promoting local currency settlement, establishing a grain exchange, and building a cross-border payment system in parallel with the US-dominated SWIFT system. These initiatives aim to reduce BRICS countries’ dependence on the US-dominated financial system and enhance their economic sovereignty, thereby potentially reshaping the global economic and political landscape. The potential benefits of BRICS cooperation include economic growth, increased global influence, and creating a more balanced and inclusive international order.
BRICS’ expansion has boosted its political clout. Today, the economic aggregate of the BRICS countries has surpassed that of the Group of Seven, and their international influence and voice are increasing. The rise of the BRICS countries, with their potential to reshape the global economic and political landscape, will inevitably cause jealousy, apprehension and uneasiness in the United States and the West, mainly because of concerns that the international order dominated by the US will not be sustainable. However, at the same time, politicians and experts in the US and the West always adopt an arrogant and disdainful attitude toward the prospects of BRICS. They think that the BRICS cooperation mechanism will eventually be difficult to sustain. The main reason is that the BRICS countries and those that intend to join BRICS differ vastly in terms of economic size, development level, development model, ethnicity, political stance and national interests. There are considerable differences in ideologies, cultural traditions, and religious beliefs, making it difficult for them to trust each other and cooperate seamlessly like the G7. However, they are oblivious to the potential benefits of BRICS cooperation, such as economic growth and increased global influence, and the fact that BRICS offers hope for a more balanced and inclusive international order. Another reason is that because of China’s unparalleled economic size and influence among BRICS countries, it is often seen as the group’s de facto leader. This leadership role, however, is not always accepted by other BRICS countries, primarily regional powers such as India. While this is the case to a certain extent, it has not hampered the successful operation and development of BRICS. The BRICS cooperation mechanism does face potential challenges. However, those challenges can be overcome through dialogue, compromise, and strengthening institutional mechanisms within the BRICS framework.
Western politicians and experts who are skeptical and contemptuous of BRICS are indeed puzzled and irritated by the continuous expansion of cooperation areas among BRICS countries since this runs counter to their analyses and prognostications. This is because they have severe cognitive biases and theoretical deficiencies regarding building an international order that can be widely supported and last long. Therefore, they refrain from criticizing the so-called “liberal international order” or the “rules-based international order” crafted and led by the US. They have failed to undergo rational and objective reflections on the reasons for the irreversible and impending collapse of the US-dominated international order. Instead, they consistently scorn the demands, theories and principles of the new international order proposed by China and many countries in the Global South. The continuous expansion of BRICS and the unremitting rise and growth of the closely-related Global South with BRICS at its core are a slap in the face to those Western politicians and experts who are narrow-minded, disdainful and ignorant.
They have always believed that world peace and development can only be promoted and guaranteed under an international order designed and led by the US, embodying Western values and implementing Western institutions and systems. Otherwise, the world will descend into the endless abyss of war, killing, backwardness and poverty. For this reason, the US and the West often think that using coercion, inducement and even instigating coups to force countries participating in that international order to follow the Western model is legitimate. However, Western politicians and experts have disregarded the national conditions, needs, aspirations, and goals of other countries, making them feel that their sovereignty has been violated, their dignity has been trampled, and their interests have been harmed. In the US-led international order, the status and rights of countries are not equal. Still, the interests of the US and the West are constantly expanding and well-protected. Over the past few decades, the international order led by the US has increasingly deteriorated and become disfigured. The United Nations and some international organizations, such as the World Trade Organization, which were initially respected, not only no longer receive the attention and support of the US but have been repeatedly attacked and sabotaged by it. The US often interferes in the internal affairs of other countries and launches aggression against other countries without UN authorization, such as the invasions of Iraq. In another example, the US paralyzed the operations of the WTO by refusing to appoint personnel to the organization’s top appeals mechanism, thus allowing the US to violate the regulations of the body wantonly. In terms of finance, the US has arbitrarily “weaponized” the US dollar, and SWIFT and illegally frozen or confiscated other countries’ assets, to the horror of the world. The US’ self-seeking and irresponsible monetary and fiscal policy has wreaked havoc worldwide. In terms of trade, the US has obstructed various international negotiations to promote global free trade; withdrawn from the free trade agreements it advocated, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership; broken its promises in existing agreements with other countries; and arbitrarily imposed heavy tariffs on imports from other countries, such as steel, aluminum, and automobiles. It practices various kinds of trade protectionism and unilateralism. In other words, the US is upending the international order it created and trumpeted, causing it to lose its recognition and prestige. To a certain extent, the US is indisputably the force propelling anti-globalization and de-globalization. For most countries, including US allies, the benefits of continuing to participate in the international order dominated by the US and the West are decreasing, while the risks they must bear are increasing. Consequently, the craving for a new international order is evident worldwide.
In the new international environment, the BRICS cooperation mechanism “came into being” in an opportune moment and became a new and colossal force to defend and promote globalization, and many countries have flocked to it. That BRICS continues to expand with its cooperation mechanism becoming increasingly attractive, reflects the international community’s disappointment and discontent with the US-led international order and its eagerness to build a new one. At the same time, it reflects the Global South’s unrelenting rise and the US-led West’s decline. The BRICS expansion reflects tremendous changes in the international landscape and the irreversible historical trend of shifting power between the East and the West.
The new international order advocated by BRICS is one that is more equal, fair, reasonable, inclusive and mutually respectful, which does not tolerate hegemonism, bullying or exploitation. It does not prioritize the interests of individual countries but seeks joint development, sincere cooperation and mutual benefit. What is particularly important is that this new international order will not require all countries to adhere to the same set of values and systems. Instead, it will respect the cultural traditions of each country and promote mutual learning among civilizations. Undoubtedly, the international order advocated and practiced by BRICS countries is most suitable for a real world with multiple cultures, races, nationalities, systems and interests. It is also more in line with the historical trend of the development of human society. Therefore, it is more suitable for countries worldwide, particularly countries in the Global South whose painful memories of colonialism and imperialism are still fresh. Some knowledgeable and thoughtful people in the US and the West also applaud the cooperation among BRICS countries.
Unlike the US, and having been the victim of Western imperialism, China has no intention of seeking world hegemony through the BRICS mechanism. Instead, it sincerely hopes that China’s development can drive the growth of other countries, primarily through infrastructure construction, trade, education, training, investment, financing and experience sharing. Other countries can get dividends from China’s development by partaking in BRICS and the Belt and Road Initiative. Other BRICS countries have undoubtedly accelerated their development by strengthening economic, trade, and cultural exchanges with China. As the digital transformation of BRICS countries accelerates and new business forms such as e-commerce continue to develop, the economic and cultural exchanges between China and other BRICS countries will become more frequent.
The continuous growth of BRICS will inevitably enhance the international influence of the Global South, and China’s leadership role in this regard will also become increasingly critical and evident. On Oct 24, President Xi Jinping said in his speech at the “BRICS Plus” leaders’ dialogue: “The collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world. … Standing at the forefront of the Global South, we should use collective wisdom and strength, and stand up to our responsibility for building a community with a shared future for mankind. … No matter how the international landscape evolves, we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South. We support more Global South countries in joining the cause of BRICS as full members, partner countries or in the ‘BRICS Plus’ format so that we can combine the great strength of the Global South to build together a community with a shared future for mankind.”
As BRICS countries grow and develop, they will inevitably encounter increasing attention, discrimination and harassment from the US, the leader of the old international order. The US and its allies are likely to attack, slander and divide the BRICS countries with malicious efforts to stem the rise of BRICS and the Global South. However, under the leadership and support of China, considering that the old international order dominated by the US cannot be updated through transformation, the US and its allies’ efforts are likely to fail. Instead, their malicious efforts will inject a new impetus into the rise and unity of BRICS countries.
The author is a professor emeritus of sociology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a consultant for the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
