Summary:
- BRICS expansion deal stuck in 11-hour negotiations, as leaders have not yet signed a finalized admission framework.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for an accelerated expansion process to bring more countries into the BRICS alliance.
- Divisions among leaders regarding the extent and speed of expansion, given economic and policy differences.
- South Africa to provide further framework details before the conclusion of the summit.
A deal to expand BRICS appeared stuck in 11-hour negotiations on Wednesday. South Africa earlier had said the group of developing countries had agreed to a mechanism for new members, paving the way for dozens of nations to sign up. But a BRICS member country official told Reuters the leaders had not yet signed a finalized admission framework. If an agreement is reached, it could help lend clout to the group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa as it seeks to create a viable counterweight to the West. More than 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS; 22 have formally asked to be admitted. They represent a disparate pool of potential candidates from Iran to Argentina.
Enlarging the Group and Chinese President's Call
Enlarging the group was top of the agenda at a summit of BRICS leaders in South Africa. Earlier in the day, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an accelerated process. 'We need to use the BRICS plus cooperation well and accelerate the expansion process. Let more countries join the BRICS family, pool wisdom and gather strength to make global governance more fair and reasonable.' While all BRICS members had publicly expressed support for growing the block, there had been divisions among the leaders about how much and how quickly. The group's members have economies that are vastly different in scale and governments that seem to have few foreign policy goals in common.
Expectations and Conclusion
More details on the framework would be given before the summit concludes on Thursday, South Africa said.
The expansion of the BRICS alliance hangs in the balance as leaders engage in extensive negotiations to finalize the admission framework. The potential inclusion of more countries could reshape global dynamics, but challenges remain in aligning the interests of the diverse group of nations.