Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven't yet, sign up here. There they were, beaming representatives of the alternative world order lined up against the backdrop of Rio's Sugarloaf Mountain. BRICS leaders hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for a two-day summit smiled as they took on the West over issues of war and peace, trade and global governance. The group adopted multiple positions at odds with Donald Trump, expressing "serious concerns" over trade tariffs, blasting soaring defense spending, and condemning airstrikes on Iran, a BRICS member. It prompted an immediate reaction from the US president, who took to social media and threatened to slap an additional 10% levy on any country aligning themselves with "the Anti-American policies of BRICS." BRICS leaders pose for a photo in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. Photographer: Dado Galdieri/Bloomberg Until recently comprising five nations, BRICS has expanded to a club of 10 that defies easy categorization or a catchy acronym. Where the Group of Seven originally incorporated the world's leading economies, later supplanted, if not quite replaced, by the supposedly more representative G-20, BRICS mostly acts as a forum for nations of the Global South. That they don't reflect the US-led consensus is the point. But while their stances clearly ran counter to Washington, the bloc shied away from naming the US directly as they chase deals lowering tariffs. Its members are not all the best of buddies — India and China are open rivals, while Xi Jinping was one of four leaders who didn't bother to attend. Saudi Arabia can't decide if it's in or out. Critics say BRICS, which represents 49% of the world's population and 39% of global GDP, perennially fails to punch its weight. Unwieldy, it still refuses to go away. Countries are queueing up to participate as partners. Brazil hands over the presidency to heavyweight India. As Trump sweeps all before him, BRICS — for all its shortcomings — is getting increasingly hard to ignore. — Alan Crawford WATCH: Trump's "America first" agenda has created an opening for the BRICS to challenge the US-led world order. |
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