Brics Plus. Sono diventati la prima potenza mondiale e l’occidente liberal ne è escluso.

Giuseppe Sandro Mela.

2022-07-25.

Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have expressed interest in membership of the BRICS.

Nota importante.

Le lingue occidentali, inglese in testa, non sono contemplate nel Club dei Brics.

Il non conoscere fluentemente il cinese od il russo è il più potente blocco per l’occidente.

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«BRICS is the acronym coined to associate five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on world .

Originally the first four were grouped as “BRIC” (or “the BRICs”) before the induction of South Africa in 2010.

Members of G20, as of 2018, these five states had a combined nominal GDP of US$19.6 trillion, about 23.2% of the gross world product, a combined GDP (PPP) of around US$40.55 trillion (32% of the world’s GDP PPP), and an estimated US$4.46 trillion in combined foreign reserves.

The BRICS Forum, an independent international organization encouraging commercial, political, and cultural cooperation among the BRICS nations, was formed in 2011.

On 15 July 2014, the first day of the BRICS sixth summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, the group of emerging economies signed the long-anticipated document to create the US$100 billion New Development Bank (formerly known as the “BRICS Development Bank”) and a reserve currency pool worth over another US$100 billion. Documents on cooperation between BRICS export credit agencies and an agreement of cooperation on innovation were also inked.

Since 2012, the BRICS group of countries have been planning an optical fibre submarine communications cable system to carry telecommunications between the BRICS countries, known as the BRICS Cable.

Argentina and Iran applied for membership in BRICS in 2022.

Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have expressed interest in membership of the BRICS.

Currently, there are two components that make up the financial architecture of BRICS, namely, the New Development Bank (NDB), or sometimes referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA). Both of these components were signed into treaty in 2014 and became active in 2015.

The New Development Bank (NDB), formally referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a multilateral development bank operated by the five BRICS states. The bank’s primary focus of lending will be infrastructure projects.

The BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is a framework for providing protection against global liquidity pressures.

At the 2015 BRICS summit in Russia, ministers from BRICS nations, initiated consultations for a payment system that would be an alternative to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system.

The CRA is generally seen as a competitor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and along with the New Development Bank is viewed as an example of increasing South-South cooperation.

China has also initiated the development of their own payment system called CIPS, that would be an alternative to the SWIFT system: the Cross-Border Inter-Bank Payments System (CIPS), which would provide a network that enables financial institutions worldwide to send and receive information about financial transactions in a secure, standardized, and reliable environment.» [Fonte]

«Members of G20, as of 2018, these five states had a combined nominal GDP of US$19.6 trillion, about 23.2% of the gross world product, a combined GDP (PPP) of around US$40.55 trillion (32% of the world’s GDP PPP), and an estimated US$4.46 trillion in combined foreign reserves.»

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Il Brics è un Club puramente economico, ove le singole nazioni ritengono la propria sovranità nazionale, rispettose della rigida non interferenza negli affari interni altrui. È grazie a questa Weltanschauung che all’interno dei Brics possono convivere serenamente anche paesi in stato conflittuale su settori politici.

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In mezzo alle tensioni tra Cina e Stati Uniti, l’impulso a costruire un BRICS più grande è diventato più forte che mai.

Poco dopo che il presidente cinese Xi Jinping ha sottolineato l’accelerazione del processo di espansione dei BRICS in occasione del 14° incontro dei leader dei BRICS a Pechino a fine giugno, l’Iran e l’Argentina hanno annunciato di aver presentato le loro richieste formali di adesione al gruppo.

Nel frattempo, i ministri degli Esteri di Kazakistan, Arabia Saudita, Argentina, Egitto, Indonesia, Nigeria, Senegal, Emirati Arabi Uniti, Thailandia e altri Paesi ospiti hanno partecipato per la prima volta alla riunione dei ministri degli Esteri dei BRICS a maggio.

Le ragioni principali dell’espansione dei BRICS possono essere attribuite ai seguenti tre punti: primo, l’intenso confronto Est-Ovest; secondo, l’approfondimento della cooperazione BRICS Plus; terzo, le richieste dei Paesi nodo.

Nel nuovo contesto del conflitto in corso tra Russia e Ucraina e dell’intensificarsi della competizione sino-statunitense, il confronto tra Oriente e Occidente è diventato sempre più evidente.

In quanto economie emergenti e grandi potenze della regione, i Paesi BRICS hanno una forte motivazione ad assorbire altri Paesi nodo con posizioni strategiche chiave ed economie in espansione per unirsi al campo.

Solo nel 2017, quando la Cina ha ospitato con successo il Vertice BRICS di Xiamen e ha proposto un meccanismo di cooperazione BRICS Plus, la connotazione dei BRICS come qualcosa che può andare oltre i suoi cinque membri è stata gradualmente arricchita e chiarita.

Un altro evento importante è stata la donazione da parte della Cina di fondi di riserva alla Nuova Banca di Sviluppo (NDB) dei BRICS. In seguito, la cooperazione BRICS Plus si è gradualmente estesa ad aree quali gli scambi economici e commerciali, la sicurezza politica e gli scambi culturali e interpersonali.

Rispetto all’espansione dell’Organizzazione per la Cooperazione di Shanghai (SCO), il processo di espansione dei BRICS sembra fare passi da gigante a un ritmo più veloce.

Sulla base dei tempi di adesione di India e Pakistan alla SCO, l’Iran diventerà membro a pieno titolo non prima del 2023.

Il BRICS non ha ancora emanato alcun regolamento o procedura legale per l’espansione, e queste regole complesse devono essere approvate attraverso il consenso.

Vale la pena notare che l’allargamento dei BRICS potrebbe non essere così complicato e lungo come l’espansione della SCO, perché la NDB dei BRICS ha già accettato come membri paesi come gli Emirati Arabi Uniti, l’Uruguay, il Bangladesh e l’Egitto.

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«Amid China-U.S. tensions, the impetus to build a bigger BRICS has grown stronger than ever»

«Soon after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s emphasized the acceleration of the BRICS expansion process at the 14th BRICS Leaders’ Meeting in Beijing in late June, Iran and Argentina announced they had submitted their formal applications to join the group»

«Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, Senegal, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, and other guest countries attended the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting for the first time in May»

«The main reasons for the expansion of BRICS can be attributed to the following three points: first, the intense East-West confrontation; second, the deepening of “BRICS Plus” cooperation; and third, the demands from “node” countries»

«In the new context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the intensifying Sino-U.S. competition, the confrontation between the East and the West has become increasingly prominent»

«As emerging economies and great powers in the region, the BRICS countries have a strong motivation to absorb other “node” countries with key strategic locations and booming economies to join the camp»

«It was not until 2017, when China successfully hosted the BRICS Summit in Xiamen and proposed a “BRICS Plus” cooperation mechanism, that the connotation of BRICS as something that could reach beyond its five members was gradually enriched and clear»

«Another prominent event was China’s donation of reserve funds to the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB). Subsequently, BRICS Plus cooperation has gradually expanded to areas such as economic and trade exchanges, political security, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges»

«Compared to the expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the expansion process of BRICS seems to be taking bigger steps at a faster pace»

«Based on the timing of India and Pakistan joining the SCO, Iran will not become a full member until 2023 at the earliest»

«BRICS has not yet issued any regulations or legal procedures for expansion, and these cumbersome rules must be passed through consensus»

«It is worth noting that enlarging BRICS may not be as complicated and time-consuming as the expansion of the SCO, because the BRICS NDB has already accepted countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Bangladesh, and Egypt as members»

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Great Power Conflict Fuels BRICS Expansion Push

Amid China-U.S. tensions, the impetus to build a bigger BRICS has grown stronger than ever.

Soon after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s emphasized the acceleration of the BRICS expansion process at the 14th BRICS Leaders’ Meeting in Beijing in late June, Iran and Argentina announced they had submitted their formal applications to join the group. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, Senegal, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, and other guest countries attended the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting for the first time in May. All these positive actions are the clear indications that the expansion of BRICS is accelerating.

The main reasons for the expansion of BRICS can be attributed to the following three points: first, the intense East-West confrontation; second, the deepening of “BRICS Plus” cooperation; and third, the demands from “node” countries.

In the new context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the intensifying Sino-U.S. competition, the confrontation between the East and the West has become increasingly prominent. Both sides, therefore, want to expand the network of friends and partners, thus consolidating their camps. As emerging economies and great powers in the region, the BRICS countries have a strong motivation to absorb other “node” countries with key strategic locations and booming economies to join the camp. The more intense the East-West confrontation, the stronger the impetus for the expansion of BRICS.

At the beginning of the establishment of BRICS, the meeting of foreign ministers was the main attraction, after which a declaration was issued. Although BRICS was later upgraded to a leaders’ summit, the practice of issuing declarations after the meeting continued. It was not until 2017, when China successfully hosted the BRICS Summit in Xiamen and proposed a “BRICS Plus” cooperation mechanism, that the connotation of BRICS as something that could reach beyond its five members was gradually enriched and clear.

Another prominent event was China’s donation of reserve funds to the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB). Subsequently, BRICS Plus cooperation has gradually expanded to areas such as economic and trade exchanges, political security, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Especially after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BRICS countries launched a vaccine research and development center on March 22, 2022, leading BRICS Plus cooperation onto an in-depth development track.

However, the continuous expansion of BRICS Plus cooperation is inseparable from the support of the regional states, especially “node” countries with considerable influence and important strategic positions in the region. Without the active participation of these node countries, BRICS Plus cooperation will lack a vast hinterland, making it difficult to sustain or become bigger and stronger. Therefore, many of the guest countries mentioned above are node countries with clear national strengths and obvious location advantages, such as Argentina and Indonesia. For these countries, being able to ride on the rapid development of BRICS with the help of BRICS Plus cooperation is simply a good deal with great profits. Therefore, these countries are also willing to join the BRICS “family.”

Compared to the expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the expansion process of BRICS seems to be taking bigger steps at a faster pace. For example, the SCO was very cautious when it first started the expansion process, with only Iran, India, and Pakistan becoming observer states at the beginning. However, nine BRICS guest countries attended the foreign ministers’ meeting at once. Although a guest country is not yet an observer country, it is only one step away.

Nonetheless, the road to BRICS expansion will not be smooth. For example, it took 12 years for Iran, India, and Pakistan to go from becoming SCO observer states in 2005 to India and Pakistan finally becoming member states in 2017. Iran will not start the acceptance process until 2021. Based on the timing of India and Pakistan joining the SCO, Iran will not become a full member until 2023 at the earliest. This also reminds us that there are screening procedures and sequences in the evolution from observer states to full member states. Therefore, some of the guest countries mentioned above will definitely have priority to enter the observer country sequence, and then current BRICS members will select some countries from the observer countries to become member states. It will be a long journey that will take considerable time and effort.

In addition, BRICS has not yet issued any regulations or legal procedures for expansion, and these cumbersome rules must be passed through consensus. Only after all the legal and transactional systems and procedures have been prepared in the early stage can the expansion members be considered. It took six years for the SCO to accept the first observer state into the process of accepting new members. BRICS does not even have observer countries at present, so it will take longer.

It is worth noting that enlarging BRICS may not be as complicated and time-consuming as the expansion of the SCO, because the BRICS NDB has already accepted countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Bangladesh, and Egypt as members. Therefore, if the expansion process is carried out with reference to the acceptance procedures and existing members of the BRICS NDB, the expansion of BRICS will be faster. Additionally, as Iran and Argentina have already applied to join, BRICS will have to unveil the procedures of the expansion process as soon as possible.

In general, the BRICS expansion is supported by strong momentum and will be advanced gradually, but it will not happen overnight.