Japan worries about shifting allegiances as Malaysia, Thailand seek Brics membership

Analysts predict Tokyo will seek to boost engagement with Southeast Asia amid concerns about a shift away from balanced diplomacy

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Tokyo. Analysts say “there will be a lot of concern” in Japan about the expansion of Brics. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:00am, 16 Oct 2024

Tokyo is closely watching Malaysia and Thailand’s applications to join the Brics group of emerging economies – an alliance that positions itself as a rival to the established trading powerhouses of Europe, the US and Japan.

Japan worries that the Southeast Asian nations may be moving away from the balanced diplomacy both have historically maintained between existing and emerging blocs, analysts say – leaning instead towards one largely influenced by China and Russia.

“There will be a lot of concern about this in Tokyo,” said Go Ito, a professor of politics and international relations at Meiji University in the Japanese capital.

“Thailand has had pretty good relations with China for a while now and we must remember that outside the United States, Thailand is home to the largest number of Confucius Institutes anywhere in the world,” he told This Week in Asia.

Brics leaders at a summit in Johannesburg last year. Photo: dpa

The institutes, which are operated by the Chinese government and provide education and cultural programmes, have faced criticism over suggestions that they promote state propaganda.