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Opinion | Expanded Brics’ key message: the West is not the only show in town
- The grouping seems too inherently illogical to be a threat, with core members in conflict and countries with vastly different economic, strategic and military weight
- But the point at the moment is about normalising a world order of institutions not led by the West
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This year’s Brics summit attracted more attention than usual. Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates now look set to become members next year, while a raft of other leaders attended. But with both China and Russia in attendance, the focus was on the grouping as an alternative to the established world order, supported by a narrative advanced in the media.
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Yet, at the same time, Western analysts and officials appear reassured by the inherent illogicality of the grouping. Not only are some core members in conflict with each other – like China and India – it also consists of countries of vastly different economic, strategic and military weight.
China, for example, is still an active member of the United Nations and its many institutions, and is eager to cultivate structures that also bring in Western powers, while India participates despite its clear desire to cultivate strong relations with the United States and its antagonism towards China.
But this misses the bigger point of Brics and the other institutions that are characterised as being part of the new alternative order being pushed by Beijing in particular. At present, the point is not so much about creating real threats to the established institutions, but normalising a world order of institutions that is not led by the West.
The G20 is an example where Western power is diluted, but Brics goes further and is a platform where Western power is excluded. It might not tangibly achieve much, but it provides a place for the non-Western world to meet and discuss world affairs without the West. The key message is that the Western order is no longer the only show in town.
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The West cannot be surprised by this turn of events. For some time, the mantra has been about maintaining a rules-based international order. Western leaders have talked about creating “alliances of democracies” or of turning the G7 grouping into an “economic Nato”.
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