Who panicked first, "BRICS" expansion personnel | Time | BRICS

In the "Golden City" of Johannesburg, the "BRICS Time" has once again begun.

This is the first offline meeting of leaders of BRICS countries in over three years, and the participating parties will discuss topics such as strengthening BRICS cooperation and expanding the BRICS cooperation mechanism.

Internationally, the topic surrounding the BRICS summit has been hotly debated, with increasing attention and popularity. Faced with post pandemic economic difficulties, prolonged Ukraine crisis, and fragmented global governance, the world calls for peace and development, and looks forward to seeking hope and confidence through the timely and dynamic BRICS cooperation mechanism.

The BRICS cooperation mechanism emerged in the historical tide of the collective rise of emerging market countries and developing countries.

In 2001, Jim O'Neill, Chief Economist of Goldman Sachs in the United States, saw the potential of emerging economies in global governance and first proposed the concept of "BRICS countries". Two years later, at the G8 summit, the "G8+5" mechanism was established, symbolically granting these emerging economies the right to listen in the "Great Power Club".

Under the influence of this concept, the BRICS countries have strengthened bilateral and multilateral coordination based on their strategic needs for independence and autonomy, and their cooperation and understanding have become increasingly profound. The first meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Russia, India, and Pakistan was held during the 2006 United Nations General Assembly, marking the beginning of the BRICS cooperation mechanism. In 2008, under the impact of the global financial crisis, emerging countries chose to unite and save themselves, and the BRICS countries encountered an opportunity to institutionalize cooperation. In 2009, the first BRICS summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, marking the official launch of the BRICS cooperation mechanism.

In December 2010, on the basis of consensus, the four countries officially absorbed South Africa to join. In July 2015, the New Development Bank of the BRICS countries settled in Shanghai and officially began operations. After the initial establishment period of the organization, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has entered a growth period.

From letter combinations to a solid "BRICS", looking back at the history of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, development is the deepest foundation.

According to data from the International Monetary Fund, from 2001 to 2022, the GDP of BRICS countries increased from 8.4% to 25.8% globally; During the same period, the proportion of the Group of Seven countries decreased from 64.6% to 42.9%. According to data released by Oak Macro Consulting in March this year, in 2022, BRICS countries accounted for more than G7 of the world economy at purchasing power parity.

As of now, the New Development Bank of the BRICS countries has approved nearly 100 loan projects with a total amount of 35 billion US dollars. The "Prosperous Road" for transporting food and other products in the state of Maragnan, Brazil, the "Green Electricity" at the solar power generation base in the state of Karnataka, India, and the "Modern Port" at the Durban container terminal in South Africa... These stories are vivid annotations of the common development of the BRICS countries and also record the solid steps of the BRICS cooperation mechanism in refreshing the world economic map.

At present, the impact of the pandemic in the century is far-reaching, and the path of economic growth after the pandemic is full of twists and turns. Among them, developed economies remain the main drag on global economic growth. In contrast, the IMF predicts that the economic growth rates of emerging markets and developing economies will reach 4.0% and 4.1% respectively in the next two years, with an increasing weight in the global economic landscape, particularly in the BRICS countries. Undoubtedly, the BRICS countries have become the main driving force for global economic growth, and the return of the global economy to an orderly growth track cannot be achieved without the BRICS countries.

"Peaches and plums remain unspoken, but their own unique characteristics emerge."

At present, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has ushered in a wave of applications, with over 40 countries hoping to join, of which more than 20 countries have officially submitted applications to join.

More and more international people are also asking: How was this "golden brick" refined? Why is there such a great attraction? Comparing the BRICS cooperation mechanism with some traditional multilateral mechanisms can provide a more intuitive answer.

From the distribution of member countries, the BRICS cooperation mechanism does not engage in exclusive "small circles". International groups such as G7, with their ideological and economic development status outlined, not only display a proud attitude of "rich country club, poor country no entry", but also frequently unite to exert extreme pressure on other economies. Looking at the BRICS cooperation mechanism, from proposing the "BRICS+" cooperation model to initiating the "BRICS expansion process" initiative, we always look forward to more like-minded partners joining and seeking broader development and cooperation.

From an organizational perspective, the cooperation mechanism among BRICS countries does not have a "group leader", but highlights "equal governance". This is most directly reflected in the issue of equal voting rights at the New Development Bank. Moreover, the BRICS countries still do not even have a secretariat, and apart from collective statements, there have been few joint practical actions, let alone joint military exercises. However, looking at some traditional international organizations, they are increasingly becoming tools for the United States to maintain hegemony, deeply bound with American interests, lacking both equality and respect, and their strategic autonomy is deeply questioned by the international community.

From the perspective of cooperation content, the BRICS cooperation mechanism is not a geopolitical alliance, but focuses more on practical economic cooperation, discussing economic, financial, and development issues of common concern to all countries. And the various "groups" led by the United States, such as the Indo Pacific Economic Framework, the Okus Alliance, and the Chip Quadruple Alliance, have always looked outward, prioritizing geopolitics in everything, always thinking of benefiting oneself at the expense of others, recklessly interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, using force and sanctions to intensify international disputes, and seriously poisoning the international political ecology and cooperation environment.

The US hegemony is declining, the old international order is collapsing, while the new order has not yet been established.

In this chaotic transitional period, the BRICS cooperation mechanism is like a clear stream, leading the way in promoting changes in the global governance system and reshaping contemporary international relations, showcasing a new atmosphere of international exchanges between countries.

Firstly, the New Development Bank and emergency reserve arrangements of the BRICS countries are conducive to reversing the imbalance in the international financial system. Zimbabwe, located in southeastern Africa, has been locked out of the global financial system due to long-standing sanctions imposed by the West. Recently, Zimbabwe has applied to join the New Development Bank of the BRICS countries, hoping to re-enter the global financial system. A Zimbabwean official praised the BRICS cooperation as providing a "bright future" for African countries.

Second, countries that want to join the BRICS cooperation mechanism include many traditional American allies, such as Türkiye, a NATO member, Saudi Arabia, a traditional American partner, and Argentina, the "backyard" of the United States. The first principle of the US ally system is "America first", and some organizations are constantly "drawing pie". Many countries are not only unable to develop through joining the group, but are instead being economically plundered by US capital, and politics are becoming increasingly chaotic under American style democracy. These peripheral allies joining the BRICS cooperation mechanism may not shake the core circle of their US alliance, but as more and more partners centrifuge, it is likely to trigger a "domino effect".

Thirdly, the concept of equality, openness, and pragmatic cooperation advocated by the BRICS cooperation mechanism will encourage developing countries to explore independent and independent development paths. With the collapse of the economic foundation of Western liberalism, its values and other superstructure have also encountered many problems, causing ideological confusion in European and American societies. More and more countries around the world have seen the true face of Western ideology, and the ideas of the United States are becoming increasingly untrustworthy and unpopular among developing countries.

A "BRICS whirlwind" has swept the world, and the West has also shown panic.

Speaking of which, the Western view of "BRICS" has undergone several changes. At the beginning, it was a top-down view, but later with the rapid development of the BRICS countries, it became somewhat important and cautious.

On the one hand, when the economic development of South Africa, Russia, and Brazil was affected by the financial crisis, the West began to sing down the "BRICS". On the other hand, seeing the rapid expansion of the influence of the BRICS cooperation mechanism on the international stage in recent years, the West has once again begun to claim that the BRICS is a "challenge to the rule-based international order", and its criticism of the BRICS has shifted from being negative to panic and resistance.

In terms of actions, or using propaganda, diplomatic and other resources to encircle and suppress the BRICS countries; Or they may try to woo India, Brazil, and South Africa in an attempt to divide and disintegrate the "BRICS" from within.

Of course, the challenges of the BRICS cooperation mechanism come not only from external sources. An international organization may lose cohesion due to internal institutional divisions, conflicts of interest, and ideological divisions.

Currently, the development of the BRICS cooperation mechanism is facing an important challenge, which is the issue of capacity expansion. After expansion, the difficulty of internal coordination will inevitably increase. There are significant differences in the economic scale and development models of BRICS countries, and the demands of each country to join the BRICS are also different. Some member countries also have geopolitical conflicts and conflicts of interest. How to focus on common interests and carry out innovative cooperation is a new challenge. Therefore, the BRICS cooperation mechanism should also strengthen internal coordination, focus on self innovation of the mechanism system, improve member admission and exit mechanisms, and strengthen anti-interference capabilities.

"Those who share the same aspirations do not consider mountains and seas as distant."

More and more countries are hoping to open the door of the BRICS, which vividly reflects the strong vitality and influence of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, and reflects the spirit of "openness, inclusiveness, cooperation, and win-win" that conforms to the trend of the times.

"Those who come but cannot be lost are the timing; those who dance but cannot be lost are the timing."

Looking ahead to the future, the BRICS cooperation mechanism will gather more new forces for global development, practice and uphold multilateralism of fairness and justice, send a stronger "BRICS voice" to the world, find solutions to global development issues, and provide stability for the changing world.