China “looks good” at the addition of new countries to the BRICS and will discuss the expansion of the bloc of which it is a part with Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, said the charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Brasilia, Jin Hongjun, at a press conference held this morning (28). It was the first official demonstration by the Chinese Foreign Ministry after Iran applied for the group, on Monday afternoon (27).
Jin declined to comment on the Iranian bid in detail, but said it was in the Brics’ interest to “expand cooperation with other emerging markets and developing countries in the Global South.” He stressed that China has started negotiations with the other members and that any expansion “will have to be done through consensus.”
“The Brics have their rules. We are in the process [de discussão] and we still need to define the criteria for possible extensions. Before that there will be no expansion. We want to have more cooperation and, in recent years, we have started mechanisms for this, such as the Brics+ platform and the New Development Bank”, said the diplomat.
He also said that, although it is too early to comment on specific candidacies and the bloc still lacks formal procedures to do so, “there will certainly be more countries interested in joining the bloc”. “Iran and Argentina, which has also expressed interest in the past, are important members of the group of developing countries, with regional and economic relevance. There will certainly be a time for members to give their opinions and analyze on a case-by-case basis.”
The speech signals the Chinese intention to transform the bloc into a forum on the fringes of Western institutions. The initiative, however, is viewed with reservation in BrasÃlia. The apprehension is justified by signs that, depending on the members accepted, the BRICS would function as a reissue of the Non-Aligned Movement, a holdover from the Cold War formed by nations that rejected the bipolar logic between the US and the former Soviet Union. The last addition took place in 2010, when South Africa was accepted into the group. At the time, however, entry was by invitation.
isolated russia
The concerns of the Brazilian and Indian Foreign Ministry are not unfounded. At the 14th BRICS Summit, hosted virtually by the Chinese last week, both Beijing and Moscow raised their tone. While Chinese leader Xi Jinping used the speech to indirectly criticize the United States and its unilateral sanctions, Russia went further, advocating the creation of an independent financial system backed by the Chinese yuan for trade between the bloc’s member states.
Jin Hongjun endorsed Xi’s speech and accused Washington of “trying to create a parallel world” by expanding NATO into the Pacific region. The chargé d’affaires criticized attempts to isolate Russia in international forums after the invasion of Ukraine and called Moscow’s participation in the latest summit “constructive”.
“Russia is an important member of the BRICS and its contribution is valuable. In general, we will not support unilateral initiatives against the Russians and we will advocate their broad participation not only in the BRICS but also in other important meetings such as the G20. The Chinese position in this sense is similar to that of Brazil”, he said.
