The Geopolitics of BRICS 21have a unique reach of influence that covers Asia, Africa, Europe and
South America.
The impact that BRICS will make internationally can be evaluated
against the degree of political coherence amongst them, as well as their
ability to influence the international system. BRICS represents a
heterogeneous coalition of, at times, competing powers that have a
primary political and economic objective to challenge and erode Western
hegemonic perspectives, namely of protecting the political sovereignty of
states. The coalition’s position is that it does not want to form an anti-
Western grouping as such, but at the same time BRICS countries are eager
to maintain their independent judgment and national actions in a world
that is increasingly becoming more socially and economically
interdependent.^8 BRICS countries–even the democratic ones–diverge from
the Western countries’ ideas of liberalism. The stance on sovereignty
amongst the five countries remains one of BRICS’s strongest assets but at
the same time is one of their greatest weaknesses. An irony that the
countries of BRICS must study is the fact that, should a nation wish to
operate within a coalition that ultimately empowers all participants, then it
must be prepared to sacrifice a degree of its sovereignty, as reflected by
the development of the European Union.
BRICS is a less rigid model than the G7 or the European Union.
Differences remain between the five nations. Brazil, India and South
Africa are pushing for the redistribution of power in global institutions. In
direct contrast are China and Russia who are both status-quo powers that
do not want to change the system that has served both of them well in the
past.^9 Furthermore, both Russia and China do offer rhetoric regarding
change, but provide very little actual substance.
Another weakness of BRICS is the fact that the countries that form it
are presently pursing narrow national interests. There remain strong
elements of distrust amongst some of its members, such as Sino-Indian
and Sino-Russian competition, and China’s rise and historical boarder
tensions. Competition amongst its members remains strong, as reflected in
the assertive manner in which all members are pursuing commodities in
Africa. As stated by an Indian diplomat:
[T]he BRICS grouping has economic heft, but their political clout is yet to
be tested. They don’t see eye to eye on many international issues. There is
no common cementing principle amongst them. They have made all the(^8) Ikenberry, Liberal Leviathan: The Origins, Triumph, Crisis and Transformation
of the American World Order.
(^9) Stuenkel, “Why BRICS Matters.”