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TOPIC

Brics

Brics
Brics (an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) refers to an association of 10 leading emerging markets. The other member states are Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
A customer and an employee count Thai baht banknotes at a gold shop in Bangkok’s Chinatown, Thailand, on October 9, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Banking & finance

Opinion | Central banks are propelling a 21st century global gold rush

The world must choose between believing in the authority of central banks to decide the worth of fiat currencies or trusting in gold as a store of value.

Indonesia

‘Resilience’ is Indonesia’s new foreign policy buzzword, but is it just rhetoric?

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Mainland China

Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa signal a Brics shift?

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Diplomacy

Testing the waters: is Brics evolving into a security alliance?

The first naval exercises under the ‘Brics plus’ banner saw Brazil, Egypt, China, Russia and South Africa take part. India did not.

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A Russian corvette ship is seen near Cape Town, South Africa, on January 9. The Will For Peace exercise brings together navies from Brics-plus countries. Photo: AFP
SCO

Could the Iran crisis push Global South blocs to deepen security ties?

A lack of response from the SCO and Brics could have a negative impact on the groups – but the crisis could also bring them closer.

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China’s military drills

China to lead joint naval drills with Brics nations in South African waters

It is the first defence cooperation under the Brics framework, with the Russian and Iranian navies reportedly taking part.

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Indonesia

Power, protests and policy shake-ups shape Indonesia’s 2025

President Prabowo Subianto asserts his authority as he navigates the global stage and domestic challenges in his first full year in office.

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Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto closed the year on firm footing despite challenges in his first full year in office. Photo: Reuters
War and conflict

Opinion | Welcome to a world where wars don’t end and sanctions don’t work

The age of ‘distributed multipolarity’ shows that superpowers alone can no longer dictate international affairs.

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Asean

Opinion | In its year under Malaysia, Asean tried to set systemic reform in motion

Despite grumbles about loss of focus and misgivings about the longevity of new networks, Malaysia, ironically, perhaps didn’t go far enough.

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South Africa

Trump administration warns South Africa not to issue G20 statement

US opposes South Africa’s G20 agenda, while Trump escalated tensions with false accusations of genocide against White Afrikaners and land grabs.

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A G20 summit sign is seen at Johannesburg Expo Centre on Monday. Photo: EPA
China-Latin America relations

Brazil’s Lula opens Cop30 demanding courage – and cash – to save the planet

Chinese Vice-Premier Ding urges nations to honour Paris pledges with fairness and justice, calling for global climate action.

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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the Cop30 climate talks on Thursday. Photo: handout
China-Latin America relations

Brazil pushes China for stronger climate commitments in run-up to Cop30

Brasilia is hoping that Beijing can fill the leadership void left after the US abandoned the Paris Agreement.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Diplomacy in the age of populism is fast, fickle and unbound by the rules of old

Swift, informal deals can quickly defuse crises, but without a new rules-based order, global stability is being held hostage to chance.

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Ukraine war

Opinion | Only a multipolar coalition can secure Ukraine peace

To move forward, negotiations must be conducted on the basis of security guarantees that reflect today’s geopolitical realities.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Diplomacy

Opinion | China is supporting multilateralism one institution at a time

With a new organisation to promote mediation, among other global bodies, China is signalling its enthusiasm to get more involved in world governance.

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Pedestrians take pictures of the International Organisation for Mediation’s Hong Kong headquarters, in Wan Chai, on May 30. Photo: Dickson Lee
Open Questions series

Open Questions | John Mearsheimer on Taiwan, US-China rivalry, Trump and Ukraine

International relations scholar weighs risks of great power conflict in East Asia, West’s blunder on Russia and what Donald Trump got right about China.

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Indonesia

From pledges to policy: Indonesia’s Prabowo marks 1 year in office

His energetic diplomacy is boosting Indonesia’s profile abroad, but concerns over civil liberties and the economy remain.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Given its rare earth vulnerability, US cannot risk all-out trade war

Washington must accept that it has missed its chance to contain China’s rise and focus on developing a US macro-region.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Indonesia

Will Indonesia’s plan to join Brics bank lead to heavier debt burden?

With Indonesia having to pay to join the New Development Bank, it should tap foreign investors for project financing instead, analysts say.

India

Opinion | Why India is hedging its bets on another China charm offensive

As Washington pushes New Delhi closer to Beijing, both Asian powers must exercise strategic patience for an effective detente.

New Zealand

Opinion | Why New Zealand joining Brics makes sense in Trump’s ‘America-first’ era

Brics is a maturing economic and diplomatic powerhouse. Joining could help New Zealand spread its diplomatic wings and secure its future.

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Brics leaders and other officials pose for a group photo during the latest summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 7. Photo: Xinhua
North Korea

Opinion | Can North Korea’s Kim Jong-un forge a legacy that goes beyond the bomb?

Kim has ensured North Korea is no longer isolated. The question remains whether he can also overcome the country’s economic woes.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Global monetary policy

Opinion | Brics is slowly but surely chipping away at US dollar dominance

US dollar supremacy isn’t going away any time soon. But through scaling up of initiatives and good governance, Brics can usher in a multipolar monetary order.

Taiwan

Taipei backtracks on South Africa chip controls in representative office row

Island suspends export curbs after Pretoria says it wants to talk a dispute over Taipei’s de facto embassy.

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China-India relations

India and China vie for Global South leadership at UN gatherings

Parallel diplomacy highlights rivalry as Beijing pledges WTO reforms and New Delhi touts democratic alternatives.

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang (right) arrives in New York on Monday to attend the UN General Assembly. Photo: Xinhua
US-China relations

As the US retreats, can Xi’s new initiative shape the future world order?

Analysts say the GGI reflects China’s ambitions to shape a multipolar world, but it needs more substance to avoid becoming an ‘empty shell’.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s moment to rewire the world is arriving. What will it do?

For the first time since the Cold War, the world is between orders and the momentum is with Beijing as geopolitical winds shift eastward.

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Laos

Laos embraces China, Russia-led SCO amid frustration with Asean

Laos is the third Southeast Asian nation to partner with the SCO, in a move that analysts say could erode Asean’s collective credibility.

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