Since its establishment in 2009, BRICS has played an important role in China's foreign policy, especially in the context of growing competition with the United States, Marcin Przychodniak, a China analyst at the Asia and Pacific Program at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM), said on March 2. This format not only helps Beijing gain influence in developing countries but also serves as an important element in strategic cooperation with Russia and a platform for dialogue with India.
BRIC was originally established at the first summit in 2009 in Yekaterinburg with the participation of four countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China. In December 2010, South Africa officially joined, and in 2011, it attended the first summit in China, transforming the organization into BRICS.
Over time, with strong support from China, BRICS has expanded significantly. The New Development Bank (NBR) was established in 2015, and by January 2024, four new countries had joined: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, forming BRICS+. Indonesia followed suit in January 2025.
The latest step in the organization's development came at the 2024 Kazan summit, when the "BRICS partnership" status was established with 12 participating countries, including Türkiye, Algeria, Vietnam, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan.
Promoting geopolitical and strategic goals
Since 2019, China has placed particular emphasis on political and security cooperation within BRICS. From Beijing’s perspective, experience exchange, military dialogue, joint exercises and training between countries are important elements in competing with the United States.
At the 2024 Kazan summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that the new BRICS countries' participation would contribute to building a "fair and reasonable" international order. He mentioned the importance of the Global South and pointed to China's proposals: the Global Development Initiative (GIR) and the Global Security Initiative (GIB) as important areas of cooperation.
BRICS is also the forum for promoting the concept of China-Brazil talks to end the conflict in Ukraine, announced in September 2024 and supported by countries such as Indonesia, Egypt and South Africa. This is a typical example of using this platform within the framework of strategic cooperation between China and Russia.
According to experts from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Fudan University, the fear and sense of threat from US policies are driving cooperation between China and the Global South countries in the process of building a “new world order”. The ultimate goal is to compete with current international formats such as the G7.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last October that BRICS is characterized by inclusiveness, unlike “small groupings” characterized by “Cold War thinking.” Through BRICS, China seeks support for its demands and influences the policies of member states.
This cooperation takes many forms, including joint military exercises (like in February 2023 with the participation of units from Russia, China and South Africa) and cooperation between research institutes of the countries.
Economic cooperation
For China, economic cooperation within BRICS plays a largely supportive role. According to the Beijing statement, China and BRICS oppose protectionism in international trade, blaming the EU and the US for this.
At the 2017 BRICS summit in Xiamen, China proposed that developing countries take a greater role in managing the global economy. Beijing also supports economic integration projects such as the use of national currencies in trade and the creation of financial settlement mechanisms separate from the West.
In his speech at the Kazan summit last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping identified innovation, green technology and sustainable development as key areas. A BRICS research group dedicated to developing artificial intelligence was also established under China’s informal leadership.
It can be seen that BRICS plays an important role in realizing China's foreign policy goals, especially in competing with the US and influencing EU policy. China's economic and political potential, combined with the lack of permanent organizational structures of BRICS, allows Beijing to have a strong influence on the decisions of the group's members.
The rapid growth of BRICS in recent years, with China’s support, has also turned the platform into an important forum for promoting Beijing’s initiatives, Przychodniak concluded. This includes expanding markets, increasing investment opportunities and, in particular, strengthening political and security cooperation.
Comment (0)