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Brics

Brics

Brics (an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) refers to an association of leading emerging markets. South Africa joined the group in 2010.

last updated:

24 October, 2024

Illustration: Craig Stephens

Opinion | Besides the border, 4 issues obstruct warmer China-India ties

Both nations share similarities but also sharp differences in how they see the international order, its future, multipolarity and the Global South.

24 Dec 2024 - 5:30AMvideocam

Asian Angle | Why Asean’s neutrality is our greatest asset in a divided world

13 Dec 2024 - 5:13PM

Xi Jinping tells Medvedev China seeks political solution to Ukraine crisis

12 Dec 2024 - 10:00PMvideocam

US-China trade war

Outside In | Trump’s destructive impact on world trade could take decades to unravel

The president-elect is doubling down on policies that did not serve the US well during his first term in the White House.

6 Dec 2024 - 4:30PMvideocam

US president-elect Donald Trump gestures while speaking during a meeting with House Republicans at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Washington on November 13. Photo: AFP

Will Trump’s tariff threat push Southeast Asian nations away from China-led Brics?

Analysts warn nations to consider the risks of joining Brics, which could bring economic gains but may alienate the US and lead to trade barriers.

4 Dec 2024 - 7:44PM

How Trump’s push to end Ukraine war tips his hand on China, Russia

US president-elect likely to encounter difficulties given the three countries’ aligned interests in challenging the West, analysts say.

4 Dec 2024 - 8:08AMvideocam

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Opinion | Trump’s fuming over unlikely ‘Brics currency’ belies risks of de-dollarisation

Trump’s threat of tariffs over a currency that will likely never exist is a reminder of how much clout the dollar has in the developing world.

4 Dec 2024 - 5:59PM

Russia only started pushing to reduce global reliance on the US dollar after its banking system was cut off from the world’s reserve currency. Photo: AFP

US-China relations

WTO boss urges middle powers to defend global system ahead of US-China trade war

Deepening fragmentation looms with Donald Trump’s return to White House and joint diplomacy needed, says re-elected Nigerian economist.

3 Dec 2024 - 6:28AMvideocam

US-China relations

Trump threatens Brics countries with huge tariff if they undercut US dollar

The group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and others, discussed boosting non-dollar transactions at a recent summit.

1 Dec 2024 - 5:28AMvideocam

Opinion | Why Gulf countries don’t want to choose between China and the US

While Trump 2.0 could complicate the Gulf Cooperation Council’s relations with Beijing, member states are unlikely to sever ties with either power.

26 Nov 2024 - 8:30PMvideocam

Then-US president Donald Trump holds a chart showing defence sales next to Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington, on March 20, 2018. Photo: AFP

Opinion | World must forge ahead with globalisation, with or without the US

Washington has long resisted efforts to reform the Western-centric international order. Now Trump appears poised to withdraw from it altogether.

23 Nov 2024 - 8:28AMvideocam

Illustration: Craig Stephens

Opinion | With Trump 2.0, it will be every country for itself

Given Trump’s policy direction, the only conclusion for realists is that self-strengthening must be the main thrust in a fragmenting world order.

22 Nov 2024 - 8:30PMvideocam

Malaysia’s Ukraine stance, closeness to Russia could harm its image: analysts

Kuala Lumpur’s refusal to condemn Moscow and growing ties with Putin in a bid to join the Brics bloc may undermine its non-aligned stance.

19 Nov 2024 - 2:11PMvideocam

India’s Modi holds talks in Nigeria en route to G20

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Sunday, amid deepening ties between the two countries.

17 Nov 2024 - 5:45PM

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi addresses the “Summit of the Future” in the General Assembly hall at United Nations headquarters in New York City, US, on September 23. Photo: Reuters

Malaysia’s Anwar warns of impact from Trump’s plan to slap tariffs on imports

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says any new US tariffs will affect Malaysia regardless of its links with Brics.

13 Nov 2024 - 1:56PM

Technicians work at a semiconductor plant in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP

‘Great consequence’: Malaysia invites China to join Asean summit with Gulf bloc

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says China’s presence at the Asean-GCC summit could help boost regional growth.

5 Nov 2024 - 5:52PMvideocam

US-China relations

US accuses Russia and China of ‘shamelessly’ shielding North Korea

UN ambassadors trade barbs over North Korea’s test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile last week.

5 Nov 2024 - 10:38AMvideocam

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Opinion | Asean won’t become obsolete just because a few members join Brics

Southeast Asian nations’ interest in joining the grouping is consistent with the region’s geopolitical hedging and may well strengthen Asean’s clout.

4 Nov 2024 - 11:37PMvideocam

Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Sangiampongsa, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah hold hands during a “family photo” at the 14th Asean-United Nations Summit in Vientiane, Laos, on October 11. Photo: EPA-EFE

South China Sea

How Indonesia is going its own way on Beijing, Brics and the South China Sea

Jakarta is aiming for full membership of the bloc while also asserting itself in the Natuna Islands.

3 Nov 2024 - 4:51PMvideocam

Opinion | Cop29 is Azerbaijan’s moment to step into the global sunshine

The UN climate conference will shine a spotlight on the major oil producer’s energy transition, peace efforts with Armenia and geocritical location.

3 Nov 2024 - 5:30AMvideocam

Will Prabowo’s Brics ambitions reshape Indonesia’s ties with Russia and China?

Indonesia’s new president is wasting no time pursuing a more active foreign policy to position his country as a leader of the Global South.

2 Nov 2024 - 12:00PM

Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in July. Photo: Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Opinion | Border deal a hopeful sign of a turnaround in China-India relations playing

For a start, the deal must not be seen as a tactical reconciliation, political bargaining chip or subject to a unilateral interpretation.

2 Nov 2024 - 9:18AMvideocam

Illustration: Craig Stephens

US, China in ‘robust conversation’ on North Korean troops in Russia: Blinken

Beijing urged to do more to curb ‘provocative’ actions taken by its close partners Moscow and Pyongyang, says America’s top diplomat.

1 Nov 2024 - 8:09AMvideocam

India and China troop disengagement ‘almost complete’ after historic border pact

The disengagement process by India and China marks a significant step towards easing tensions after a four-year stand-off.

31 Oct 2024 - 9:48PMvideocam

Opinion | Brics’ power lies in its ability to win friends and influence others

The grouping is a long way from being able to set international norms and standards, but it is becoming increasingly able to reshape them.

31 Oct 2024 - 5:48PMvideocam

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas (centre left) speaks with United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres (centre) and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (centre right) as participants in the Brics Plus meeting pose for a family photo during the Brics summit in Kazan on October 24. Photo: AFP

As Indonesia’s Prabowo eyes Brics membership, why is rest of Asean ‘anxious’?

Doubts swirl about Asean’s significance for President Prabowo as Indonesia pursues Brics membership – a move his predecessor had ruled out.

30 Oct 2024 - 2:31PM

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto salutes at a swearing-in ceremony in Jakarta on October 22. Photo: AP

Vietnam’s ‘sweet spot’ strategy balances Brics engagement with Western ties

As a Brics partner, Vietnam’s choice of alignment showcases the bloc’s growing influence – while avoiding the pitfalls of full membership.

30 Oct 2024 - 8:00AMvideocam

Opinion | Brics is not anti-West, it just wants a fairer world order

In championing economic inclusivity and strategic autonomy, pioneering financial innovation and promoting peace, Brics is a force for good.

29 Oct 2024 - 9:30AMvideocam

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