Information Bulletin of the BRICS Trade Union Forum
Monitoring of the economic, social and labor situation in the BRICS countries
Monitoring of the economic, social and labor situation in the BRICS countries
Issue 15.2022
2022.04.11 — 2022.04.17
International relations
Foreign policy in the context of BRICS
South Africa to Assume the BRICS Presidency in 2023 (ЮАР примет председательство в БРИКС в 2023 году) / Russia, April, 2022
Keywords: chairmanship
2022-04-11
2022-04-11
Russia
Source: infobrics.org
South Africa will continue to work with the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). The country will take over the BRICS chairmanship next year, as reported by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
Sadiq Jaffer, chief director of InvestSA under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said that there was a need for focused work between the BRICS countries on a regular basis.
Speaking at the South Africa's Fourth Investment Conference in Johannesburg, Jaffer said trade between the BRICS countries had actually increased over the past few years.
"BRICS has a sub-committee made up of different sub-committees that meet and work together and deal with trade and investment. Once we become the chair, we become the driving force behind these processes," stressed the InvestSA chief director.
"The work in BRICS has not stopped and we are working together to continue to identify opportunities for both trade and investment. And we are also working on making it easy to do business between countries, and we are maintaining the relationship because trade and investment flows are long-term processes," he added.
Source: infobrics.org
South Africa will continue to work with the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). The country will take over the BRICS chairmanship next year, as reported by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
Sadiq Jaffer, chief director of InvestSA under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said that there was a need for focused work between the BRICS countries on a regular basis.
Speaking at the South Africa's Fourth Investment Conference in Johannesburg, Jaffer said trade between the BRICS countries had actually increased over the past few years.
"BRICS has a sub-committee made up of different sub-committees that meet and work together and deal with trade and investment. Once we become the chair, we become the driving force behind these processes," stressed the InvestSA chief director.
"The work in BRICS has not stopped and we are working together to continue to identify opportunities for both trade and investment. And we are also working on making it easy to do business between countries, and we are maintaining the relationship because trade and investment flows are long-term processes," he added.
Translateralism in the Changing Global Order (Транслатерализм в меняющемся глобальном порядке) / Russia, April, 2022
Keywords: expert_opinion, global_governance, political_issues
2022-04-13
2022-04-13
Russia
Source: eng.globalaffairs.ru
ABSTRACT
In the contemporary international relations scholarship, there is a prevalent presumption that effective partnerships require shared values and ideological unity. The primary purpose of this article is to challenge such orthodox views on the merits of unity in global affairs. By proposing the concept of "translateralism," the author argues that the power of partnerships among unlike-minded actors should not be discounted. Translateral partnerships of the unlike-minded expose participating actors to the messy realities of global politics, compel them to get out of their diplomatic comfort-zones, and help them overcome the limitations of crude binary thinking. In a world of deepening global uncertainty, open-minded actors able to harness the widest possible networks of diverse partners may be more likely to succeed in adapting to changing circumstances. To probe the argument's plausibility, this article provides illustrative examples of translateral partnerships advanced by China, Russia, and Japan, and discusses how these practices have reshaped the overall landscape of global interactions. Based on the insights offered by these examples, this article concludes that uncritical celebration of the strength of unity needs to be reconsidered.
Source: eng.globalaffairs.ru
ABSTRACT
In the contemporary international relations scholarship, there is a prevalent presumption that effective partnerships require shared values and ideological unity. The primary purpose of this article is to challenge such orthodox views on the merits of unity in global affairs. By proposing the concept of "translateralism," the author argues that the power of partnerships among unlike-minded actors should not be discounted. Translateral partnerships of the unlike-minded expose participating actors to the messy realities of global politics, compel them to get out of their diplomatic comfort-zones, and help them overcome the limitations of crude binary thinking. In a world of deepening global uncertainty, open-minded actors able to harness the widest possible networks of diverse partners may be more likely to succeed in adapting to changing circumstances. To probe the argument's plausibility, this article provides illustrative examples of translateral partnerships advanced by China, Russia, and Japan, and discusses how these practices have reshaped the overall landscape of global interactions. Based on the insights offered by these examples, this article concludes that uncritical celebration of the strength of unity needs to be reconsidered.
Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu Chairs the Second BRICS Sherpas' Meeting 2022 (Заместитель министра иностранных дел Ма Чжаосюй председательствует на второй встрече шерп стран БРИКС 2022 г.) / China, April, 2022
Keywords: foreign_ministers_meeting, quotation
2022-04-15
2022-04-15
China
Source: brics2022.mfa.gov.cn
From April 12 to 13, 2022, Coordinator of China's BRICS Affairs and Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu chaired the Second BRICS Sherpas' Meeting 2022. BRICS Sherpas of Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa, as well as representatives from China's relevant departments attended the meeting.
Ma Zhaoxu said, currently, impacted by the intertwined forces of changes in the world and the COVID-19 pandemic, both unseen in a century, the international landscape is rapidly evolving, the world economic recovery has a long way to go, and the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is confronted with new risks and challenges. As representatives of emerging markets and developing countries, BRICS countries should walk the walk, deepen their strategic partnership, act as a stabilizer for international and regional situation and an accelerator for development, contribute BRICS' solution to safeguarding fairness and justice, inject BRICS' strength into the stability of the global market, build a BRICS defense line for jointly fighting the pandemic, and provide BRICS momentum for international development and cooperation.
Ma Zhaoxu introduced the cooperation progress made by BRICS countries since the beginning of this year in key areas such as political security, economy, trade, finance, public health, sustainable development, cultural and people-to-people exchanges and mechanism building, as well as ideas on the preparatory work for this year's BRICS Summit. He stressed that during its chairmanship of BRICS this year, China looks forward to working with BRICS partners to continue to strengthen communication and coordination, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and ensure the success of the Summit.
Representatives of other countries highly appreciated the leading role played by China as the chair, fully recognized the achievements and progress of BRICS cooperation in various fields this year, and said that they will continue to support China's work during its chairmanship and jointly push for fruitful results of the BRICS Year of China. All parties stressed that the world is facing multiple challenges such as the raging pandemic, shaky economic recovery, and the Ukraine crisis. BRICS countries should further strengthen solidarity and coordination, and make greater contributions to improving global governance, boosting economic recovery, implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and combating the pandemic.
Source: brics2022.mfa.gov.cn
From April 12 to 13, 2022, Coordinator of China's BRICS Affairs and Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu chaired the Second BRICS Sherpas' Meeting 2022. BRICS Sherpas of Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa, as well as representatives from China's relevant departments attended the meeting.
Ma Zhaoxu said, currently, impacted by the intertwined forces of changes in the world and the COVID-19 pandemic, both unseen in a century, the international landscape is rapidly evolving, the world economic recovery has a long way to go, and the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is confronted with new risks and challenges. As representatives of emerging markets and developing countries, BRICS countries should walk the walk, deepen their strategic partnership, act as a stabilizer for international and regional situation and an accelerator for development, contribute BRICS' solution to safeguarding fairness and justice, inject BRICS' strength into the stability of the global market, build a BRICS defense line for jointly fighting the pandemic, and provide BRICS momentum for international development and cooperation.
Ma Zhaoxu introduced the cooperation progress made by BRICS countries since the beginning of this year in key areas such as political security, economy, trade, finance, public health, sustainable development, cultural and people-to-people exchanges and mechanism building, as well as ideas on the preparatory work for this year's BRICS Summit. He stressed that during its chairmanship of BRICS this year, China looks forward to working with BRICS partners to continue to strengthen communication and coordination, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and ensure the success of the Summit.
Representatives of other countries highly appreciated the leading role played by China as the chair, fully recognized the achievements and progress of BRICS cooperation in various fields this year, and said that they will continue to support China's work during its chairmanship and jointly push for fruitful results of the BRICS Year of China. All parties stressed that the world is facing multiple challenges such as the raging pandemic, shaky economic recovery, and the Ukraine crisis. BRICS countries should further strengthen solidarity and coordination, and make greater contributions to improving global governance, boosting economic recovery, implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and combating the pandemic.
The New Polycentric International Order (Новый полицентричный международный порядок) / Russia, April, 2022
Keywords: expert_opinion, global_governance
2022-04-15
2022-04-15
Russia
Source: infobrics.org
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dismantling of the USSR in 1991 brought the end of the bipolar international order that had ruled the world for almost half a century. From the literature capturing the history of international relations, we can understand the phrase "international order" to refer, essentially, to a certain collection (in motion) bringing together norms, institutions and power structures that modify, limit and direct the behavior of the actors that make up the world-system during a certain period.
There are two unequivocal historical movements in every transition and subsequent establishment of a certain world order: the pen and the bomb, that is, war and peace. This was the case in the "Peace of Westphalia", in 1648, which was the outcome of what has been known as the Wars of Religion. In Vienna, in 1815, the Napoleonic Wars were followed by the "Concert of Europe". We see the same pattern in the so-called "Peace of Versailles", in 1919, at the end of the First World War. Or even in Yalta, Potsdam and San Francisco, in 1945, with the end of the Second World War. After the Soviet collapse in 1991, the US bombing of Iraq, in the First Gulf War, established, through the power of weapons, new power dynamics in the international field.
Given this situation, from the 1990s onwards, the United States and the European Union prioritized in their geopolitical agenda the "management" of the dismantling of the "Russian empire", due to its economic consequences and the old geopolitical challenge around Central Europe. The Americans hastened the expansion of NATO and quickly took over the military positions left by the Soviet army in Central Europe. The United States and its Western allies explicitly supported the autonomy of states from the former Soviet "zone of influence" and actively promoted the dismemberment of Russian territory.
Starting with Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, followed by Ukraine, Belarus, the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asian countries. They supported the independence of Kosovo, pressured the deployment of its "anti-missile shield" in Central Europe and began to openly arm and train the armies of Ukraine, Georgia and Central Asian countries, disregarding the fact that most of these countries belonged to Russian territory during the previous three centuries. They also ignored the dissonance and warning of respected internal voices such as George Kennan, the "containment theorist", who predicted how NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe would be its tragedy, and Henry Kissinger, who advocated that the so-called "zones of influence" of the great powers should be respected.
After the humiliation Russia was subjected to during the Yeltsin years, in this new century we see the Russian renaissance. Russia has been explicitly pursuing a policy of empowerment. It is notable that the Russian reaction began with the government of Vladimir Putin in 2000 and its strategic reorientation. The Russian president has recentralized power. He reconstituted the Russian state and economy, rebuilding its military-industrial complex and nationalizing its vast energy resources. He articulated the construction of the BRICS. Possessing the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet, the new Russian government warned the United States of the possibility of a new nuclear race if it continued with its project of developing an "anti-ballistic shield" in Central Europe – more precisely in Poland.
In August 2007, Putin planted a titanium Russian flag in international waters deep in the Arctic. In 2008, Russian troops intervened in Georgia. In 2014 Crimea was incorporated by Russia as a new subject of the Federation, within the aftermath of the Ukrainian crisis. Putin, moreover, posed an impediment to any Western intervention in Syria and has secured his ally, Bashar al-Assad, in power. And since then, he has strengthened his strategic ties with China, especially after the sanctions imposed by the US and the European Union following the Ukrainian crisis.
On February 4, 2022, strategically at the opening of the XXIV Winter Games, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin met in Beijing. On the occasion, in addition to participating in the opening ceremony of the games, the two heads of state released a "Joint Declaration" that drew attention both for its assertiveness and for its scope.
The two countries announced a high-level and unprecedented alliance in the history of the world-system: "The new inter-state relations between Russia and China are superior to the political and military alliances of the Cold War era. The friendship between the two States has no limits, there are no 'prohibited' areas of cooperation", according to the text.
The long document deals with virtually all relevant aspects of international politics, democracy and human rights, pandemic, defense of peace, colour revolutions, shared and sustainable development, combating climate change, terrorism, internet governance, communicational warfare, etc.
In essence, the document as a whole represents a defense of multilateralism and a new polycentric international order. It reveals a solid intention of the two countries in unity, openly contesting the post-Cold War, Atlanticist and Anglo-Saxon international order, as well as the end of American hegemony. It establishes that the world-system undergoes a transformation in its governance architecture and world order. According to the text, "humanity is entering a new era" and "sees the development of processes and phenomena such as multipolarity, economic globalization, advent of the information society, cultural diversity, transformation of the architecture of global governance and world order".
The letter points directly to NATO and sets clear limits for its role in this new world order. The document reads: "The parties oppose further enlargement of NATO and call on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon its ideological Cold War approaches and respect the sovereignty, security and interests of other countries. The parties oppose the formation of closed bloc structures and opposing camps in the Asia-Pacific region and remain highly vigilant about the negative impact on peace and stability in the strategic region of the US Indo-Pacific."
It points to an inexorable "Eurasian" rise of power: political, economic, technological, military, diplomatic, cultural, sports… The expression of such a shift, besides the partnership and the document itself, would be, among others, the Chinese development project of the "Belt and Road Initiative", the greater Eurasian integration with multilateral organizations such as the G20, ASEAN, BRICS and in particular the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). At the end, one of the conclusions of the text highlights: "Russia and China intend to comprehensively strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and further improve their role in the formation of a polycentric world order based on the universally recognized principles of international law, multilateralism, equitable, joint, indivisible, broad and sustainable security".
The history of international relations demonstrates that any breach of an established world order implies the use of force. Twenty days after Putin's visit to Xi in Beijing and the release of this Sino-Russian document that clearly and unequivocally challenges the post-Cold War international order, Russian troops were sent to Ukraine within the frameworks of an early announced special military operation. And, through the power of its military, Russia, supported by its great ally, China, inaugurates a new era in the world.
A new polycentric international order has been established, putting an end to the infinite expansionism of NATO and the hegemony of the USA, which lasted for thirty long years.
Pedro Costa Júnior is a doctoral student in political science at USP. Author of the book Collapse or Myth of Collapse?" ( Appris ).
Source: infobrics.org
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dismantling of the USSR in 1991 brought the end of the bipolar international order that had ruled the world for almost half a century. From the literature capturing the history of international relations, we can understand the phrase "international order" to refer, essentially, to a certain collection (in motion) bringing together norms, institutions and power structures that modify, limit and direct the behavior of the actors that make up the world-system during a certain period.
There are two unequivocal historical movements in every transition and subsequent establishment of a certain world order: the pen and the bomb, that is, war and peace. This was the case in the "Peace of Westphalia", in 1648, which was the outcome of what has been known as the Wars of Religion. In Vienna, in 1815, the Napoleonic Wars were followed by the "Concert of Europe". We see the same pattern in the so-called "Peace of Versailles", in 1919, at the end of the First World War. Or even in Yalta, Potsdam and San Francisco, in 1945, with the end of the Second World War. After the Soviet collapse in 1991, the US bombing of Iraq, in the First Gulf War, established, through the power of weapons, new power dynamics in the international field.
Given this situation, from the 1990s onwards, the United States and the European Union prioritized in their geopolitical agenda the "management" of the dismantling of the "Russian empire", due to its economic consequences and the old geopolitical challenge around Central Europe. The Americans hastened the expansion of NATO and quickly took over the military positions left by the Soviet army in Central Europe. The United States and its Western allies explicitly supported the autonomy of states from the former Soviet "zone of influence" and actively promoted the dismemberment of Russian territory.
Starting with Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, followed by Ukraine, Belarus, the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asian countries. They supported the independence of Kosovo, pressured the deployment of its "anti-missile shield" in Central Europe and began to openly arm and train the armies of Ukraine, Georgia and Central Asian countries, disregarding the fact that most of these countries belonged to Russian territory during the previous three centuries. They also ignored the dissonance and warning of respected internal voices such as George Kennan, the "containment theorist", who predicted how NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe would be its tragedy, and Henry Kissinger, who advocated that the so-called "zones of influence" of the great powers should be respected.
After the humiliation Russia was subjected to during the Yeltsin years, in this new century we see the Russian renaissance. Russia has been explicitly pursuing a policy of empowerment. It is notable that the Russian reaction began with the government of Vladimir Putin in 2000 and its strategic reorientation. The Russian president has recentralized power. He reconstituted the Russian state and economy, rebuilding its military-industrial complex and nationalizing its vast energy resources. He articulated the construction of the BRICS. Possessing the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet, the new Russian government warned the United States of the possibility of a new nuclear race if it continued with its project of developing an "anti-ballistic shield" in Central Europe – more precisely in Poland.
In August 2007, Putin planted a titanium Russian flag in international waters deep in the Arctic. In 2008, Russian troops intervened in Georgia. In 2014 Crimea was incorporated by Russia as a new subject of the Federation, within the aftermath of the Ukrainian crisis. Putin, moreover, posed an impediment to any Western intervention in Syria and has secured his ally, Bashar al-Assad, in power. And since then, he has strengthened his strategic ties with China, especially after the sanctions imposed by the US and the European Union following the Ukrainian crisis.
On February 4, 2022, strategically at the opening of the XXIV Winter Games, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin met in Beijing. On the occasion, in addition to participating in the opening ceremony of the games, the two heads of state released a "Joint Declaration" that drew attention both for its assertiveness and for its scope.
The two countries announced a high-level and unprecedented alliance in the history of the world-system: "The new inter-state relations between Russia and China are superior to the political and military alliances of the Cold War era. The friendship between the two States has no limits, there are no 'prohibited' areas of cooperation", according to the text.
The long document deals with virtually all relevant aspects of international politics, democracy and human rights, pandemic, defense of peace, colour revolutions, shared and sustainable development, combating climate change, terrorism, internet governance, communicational warfare, etc.
In essence, the document as a whole represents a defense of multilateralism and a new polycentric international order. It reveals a solid intention of the two countries in unity, openly contesting the post-Cold War, Atlanticist and Anglo-Saxon international order, as well as the end of American hegemony. It establishes that the world-system undergoes a transformation in its governance architecture and world order. According to the text, "humanity is entering a new era" and "sees the development of processes and phenomena such as multipolarity, economic globalization, advent of the information society, cultural diversity, transformation of the architecture of global governance and world order".
The letter points directly to NATO and sets clear limits for its role in this new world order. The document reads: "The parties oppose further enlargement of NATO and call on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon its ideological Cold War approaches and respect the sovereignty, security and interests of other countries. The parties oppose the formation of closed bloc structures and opposing camps in the Asia-Pacific region and remain highly vigilant about the negative impact on peace and stability in the strategic region of the US Indo-Pacific."
It points to an inexorable "Eurasian" rise of power: political, economic, technological, military, diplomatic, cultural, sports… The expression of such a shift, besides the partnership and the document itself, would be, among others, the Chinese development project of the "Belt and Road Initiative", the greater Eurasian integration with multilateral organizations such as the G20, ASEAN, BRICS and in particular the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). At the end, one of the conclusions of the text highlights: "Russia and China intend to comprehensively strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and further improve their role in the formation of a polycentric world order based on the universally recognized principles of international law, multilateralism, equitable, joint, indivisible, broad and sustainable security".
The history of international relations demonstrates that any breach of an established world order implies the use of force. Twenty days after Putin's visit to Xi in Beijing and the release of this Sino-Russian document that clearly and unequivocally challenges the post-Cold War international order, Russian troops were sent to Ukraine within the frameworks of an early announced special military operation. And, through the power of its military, Russia, supported by its great ally, China, inaugurates a new era in the world.
A new polycentric international order has been established, putting an end to the infinite expansionism of NATO and the hegemony of the USA, which lasted for thirty long years.
Pedro Costa Júnior is a doctoral student in political science at USP. Author of the book Collapse or Myth of Collapse?" ( Appris ).
Can BRICS Underpin a New World Order? (Может ли БРИКС стать основой нового мирового порядка?) / Russia, April, 2022
Keywords: expert_opinion, political_issues
2022-04-13
2022-04-13
Russia
Author: Yaroslav Lissovolik
Source: russiancouncil.ru
Amid an unprecedented spike in global geopolitical risks, the world is becoming increasingly aware of the fact that the architecture that underpins the old world order is giving way to a new configuration of international relations and regional blocs. The countries of the Global South are establishing their own institutions, alliances of regional integration, and payment systems, with them turning into a crucial force in the transforming global economy. The largest developing markets, primarily the nations of BRICS, are among the leaders here. In March 2022, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergey Ryabkov said that BRICS will form the foundation of a new world order, saying "I think that the BRICS states, totaling almost half of the world's population and accounting for a large chunk of the global GDP, will be among the backbones of the new emerging world order."
However, for the BRICS states to become the foundation of a new world order, the bloc has to offer other countries in the world economy new paradigms of development on a global scale. Such areas in the new economic architecture may include relaunching globalization on a platform of new states and regions, establishing a new institutional system for modernizing nations engaged in the global economy, agreeing on a new reserve currency pool with currencies of developing countries, creating a global development track as an alternative to the one promoted by the West, and forming new regional blocs and platforms to coordinate and develop those blocs.
Virtually all possible global-scale paradigms could be implemented within the broad BRICS+ format that offers BRICS states various options for cooperating with other states in the global economy. Spearheaded by China in 2017, BRICS+ still has to acquire its tangible development outlines in many ways, although some possible models for cooperation within BRICS+ have already been announced by representatives of the BRICS states. China's 2022 BRICS presidency forms a favorable foundation for facilitating BRICS+, with China's representatives having stated that they are considering the options of developing the BRICS+ concept within interactions, among other things, between regional integration alliances of the countries of the Global South.
As regards the idea's implementation, a format that appears most suitable for BRICS+ is an alliance of three pancontinental alliances: the African Union, CELAC (the community of Latin American states), and the SCO/SCO+ in Eurasia. Such an alliance spans the largest possible number of countries across the Global South, while it requires no in-depth and complex economic integration or alignment of economic interactions across all three continents. Such an extended format offers developing countries an opportunity to coordinate interaction on the international stage, advancing the Global South's priority agenda in sustainable development.
This year, we are seeing quite favorable conditions for the emergence of such an extended circle of interactions between developing states: Argentina, currently presiding in CELAC in Latin America, has recently stepped up its efforts to set up interactions with BRICS. Brazil suspending its CELAC involvement in 2020 is a limiting factor, though, but it will mostly likely be temporary. Uzbekistan, now presiding in the SCO throughout 2022, is increasingly involved in integration processes in Eurasia following a period of being closed off. The African Union presidency of 2022 has passed to Senegal, a nation that actively promotes coordination and cooperation of regional integrational alliances and builds tangible interactions with BRICS states, primarily with China.
A platform for interactions between regional integration blocs involving BRICS states could become another track of interaction within BRICS+. Such a platform could include priority projects of regional integration involving BRICS states, such as MERCOSUR, SACU, BIMSTEC, the EAEU, as well as the RCEP or the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area. All these regional blocs could cooperate in coordination, moving toward aligning their standards and creating a more open economic space for trade and investment by BRICS states and their regional partners. It is important to notice that most BRICS states currently choose to shape their foreign policies in the form of regional integration blocs (Russia – the EAEU, Brazil – MERCOSUR, South Africa – the SACU), and, consequently, BRICS+ based on "integration of integrations" is the only possible format for economic integration and for opening markets between BRICS states.
The spirit of multilateralism and of building a new architecture that suits the interests of the entire Global South is important in establishing such platforms. Attempts to base BRICS solely on the narrow national interests could adversely affect the development prospects of BRICS+ as such and of other multilateral initiatives spearheaded by BRICS states. As a new format of interaction between BRICS states, BRICS+ hinges for its success on multimodal interaction formats within BRICS+ that would account for the entire range of national interests and priorities for BRICS states and their regional partners.
Therefore, BRICS+ could shape two tracks for interaction between nations of the Global South: the SCO + the AU + CELAC, the most inclusive one geared toward broad interactions between developing states within international organizations; such a format may possibly reflect predominantly China's vision its Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi announced back in 2017 when he proclaimed BRICS+ to be the most inclusive interaction platform for developing states. A platform for "integration of integrations" between regional economic groups led by BRICS states may become another development track for BRICS+. This format is a better reflection of Russia's BRICS+ concept that Sergey Ryabkov announced in early 2018, "We suggest that our partners consider BRICS+ as a platform for developing what could be termed an 'integration of integrations,'" Ryabkov said. If China's vision of BRICS+ provides the broadest horizontal span of the Global South, Russia's vision of BRICS+ prioritizes the depth and alignment of integrating BRICS states' priority regional projects.
Generally, the number of tracks and formats for interaction between developing countries may be far greater, reflecting the globalizing vision of every BRICS member. In other words, unlike the unipolar approach to integration in developed states, BRICS+ may serve as a foundation for diversifying the models and platforms of development and economic integration. In this regard, in order to develop BRICS+ as part of diversifying development models, it is important for India, Brazil, and South Africa to also present their visions of BRICS+ and of globalization in the Global South and outside it. It is possible that India, Brazil, and South Africa see a more appealing option in expanding the membership in BRICS' New Development Bank by admitting regional partners; this paradigm has been used after Egypt was admitted to the NDB as South Africa's partner in the African Union, Uruguay was admitted as Brazil's partner in MERCOSUR, and Bangladesh as India's partner in BIMSTEC and the South Asian Free Trade Area.
Improving the functioning of BRICS Provisional Monetary Reserves Pool (PMRP) could also be a direction of ramping up international activities of BRICS. Recently, BRICS' PMRP has stepped up coordination with other regional financial organizations (RFOs) within regular consultations the IMF holds with RFOs. At the same time, BRICS' PMRP was significantly less active in its responses to crisis phenomena in BRICS states compared to BRICS' NDB. Another option is considering, as part of BRICS+, the possibility of bolstering BRICS' PMRP's mandate to monitor the macroeconomic situation in BRICS' states, to develop coordinated anti-crisis measures, and to interact with other RFOs from developing states and BRICS states' regional partners. In particular, there could be formed a regular coordination mechanism including BRICS' PMRP, the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD), ASEAN's Chiang Mai Initiative and their regional partners (CMIM), and Latin American RFO FLAR. Another area here could be expanding BRICS' PMRP membership by admitting BRICS states' regional partners, including several states admitted to BRICS' NDB.
On the whole, the prospects of transforming the world economy today are tightly bound to coordinating the activities of the largest countries of the Global South, primarily the BRICS states. However, a global restart of global economic development requires a larger interaction format, BRICS+, that will make it possible to engage other developing countries in the process. In this case, the process of reformatting the world economy will become truly inclusive and stable. The "integration of integrations" format involving cooperation between regional integration blocs of the Global South may become an important tool in scaling the global economic transformation. China's 2022 BRICS presidency may give an additional impetus to building platforms for interactions between regional groups of developing states.
Progress achieved by the BRICS nations in moving toward new platforms for cooperation between alliances of developing states may form the foundation of a common cooperation platform for all the states of the Global South. This expanded platform could advance inclusivity and openness in the development of the Global South countries, accelerate dynamics and structuring of the integration processes, could fill the gap and the lacunae on the map of integration processes in the developing world. So far, we can but state that developed countries are far better provided with dynamic and well-structured integration alliances than the countries of the Global South.
Author: Yaroslav Lissovolik
Source: russiancouncil.ru
Amid an unprecedented spike in global geopolitical risks, the world is becoming increasingly aware of the fact that the architecture that underpins the old world order is giving way to a new configuration of international relations and regional blocs. The countries of the Global South are establishing their own institutions, alliances of regional integration, and payment systems, with them turning into a crucial force in the transforming global economy. The largest developing markets, primarily the nations of BRICS, are among the leaders here. In March 2022, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergey Ryabkov said that BRICS will form the foundation of a new world order, saying "I think that the BRICS states, totaling almost half of the world's population and accounting for a large chunk of the global GDP, will be among the backbones of the new emerging world order."
However, for the BRICS states to become the foundation of a new world order, the bloc has to offer other countries in the world economy new paradigms of development on a global scale. Such areas in the new economic architecture may include relaunching globalization on a platform of new states and regions, establishing a new institutional system for modernizing nations engaged in the global economy, agreeing on a new reserve currency pool with currencies of developing countries, creating a global development track as an alternative to the one promoted by the West, and forming new regional blocs and platforms to coordinate and develop those blocs.
Virtually all possible global-scale paradigms could be implemented within the broad BRICS+ format that offers BRICS states various options for cooperating with other states in the global economy. Spearheaded by China in 2017, BRICS+ still has to acquire its tangible development outlines in many ways, although some possible models for cooperation within BRICS+ have already been announced by representatives of the BRICS states. China's 2022 BRICS presidency forms a favorable foundation for facilitating BRICS+, with China's representatives having stated that they are considering the options of developing the BRICS+ concept within interactions, among other things, between regional integration alliances of the countries of the Global South.
As regards the idea's implementation, a format that appears most suitable for BRICS+ is an alliance of three pancontinental alliances: the African Union, CELAC (the community of Latin American states), and the SCO/SCO+ in Eurasia. Such an alliance spans the largest possible number of countries across the Global South, while it requires no in-depth and complex economic integration or alignment of economic interactions across all three continents. Such an extended format offers developing countries an opportunity to coordinate interaction on the international stage, advancing the Global South's priority agenda in sustainable development.
This year, we are seeing quite favorable conditions for the emergence of such an extended circle of interactions between developing states: Argentina, currently presiding in CELAC in Latin America, has recently stepped up its efforts to set up interactions with BRICS. Brazil suspending its CELAC involvement in 2020 is a limiting factor, though, but it will mostly likely be temporary. Uzbekistan, now presiding in the SCO throughout 2022, is increasingly involved in integration processes in Eurasia following a period of being closed off. The African Union presidency of 2022 has passed to Senegal, a nation that actively promotes coordination and cooperation of regional integrational alliances and builds tangible interactions with BRICS states, primarily with China.
A platform for interactions between regional integration blocs involving BRICS states could become another track of interaction within BRICS+. Such a platform could include priority projects of regional integration involving BRICS states, such as MERCOSUR, SACU, BIMSTEC, the EAEU, as well as the RCEP or the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area. All these regional blocs could cooperate in coordination, moving toward aligning their standards and creating a more open economic space for trade and investment by BRICS states and their regional partners. It is important to notice that most BRICS states currently choose to shape their foreign policies in the form of regional integration blocs (Russia – the EAEU, Brazil – MERCOSUR, South Africa – the SACU), and, consequently, BRICS+ based on "integration of integrations" is the only possible format for economic integration and for opening markets between BRICS states.
The spirit of multilateralism and of building a new architecture that suits the interests of the entire Global South is important in establishing such platforms. Attempts to base BRICS solely on the narrow national interests could adversely affect the development prospects of BRICS+ as such and of other multilateral initiatives spearheaded by BRICS states. As a new format of interaction between BRICS states, BRICS+ hinges for its success on multimodal interaction formats within BRICS+ that would account for the entire range of national interests and priorities for BRICS states and their regional partners.
Therefore, BRICS+ could shape two tracks for interaction between nations of the Global South: the SCO + the AU + CELAC, the most inclusive one geared toward broad interactions between developing states within international organizations; such a format may possibly reflect predominantly China's vision its Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi announced back in 2017 when he proclaimed BRICS+ to be the most inclusive interaction platform for developing states. A platform for "integration of integrations" between regional economic groups led by BRICS states may become another development track for BRICS+. This format is a better reflection of Russia's BRICS+ concept that Sergey Ryabkov announced in early 2018, "We suggest that our partners consider BRICS+ as a platform for developing what could be termed an 'integration of integrations,'" Ryabkov said. If China's vision of BRICS+ provides the broadest horizontal span of the Global South, Russia's vision of BRICS+ prioritizes the depth and alignment of integrating BRICS states' priority regional projects.
Generally, the number of tracks and formats for interaction between developing countries may be far greater, reflecting the globalizing vision of every BRICS member. In other words, unlike the unipolar approach to integration in developed states, BRICS+ may serve as a foundation for diversifying the models and platforms of development and economic integration. In this regard, in order to develop BRICS+ as part of diversifying development models, it is important for India, Brazil, and South Africa to also present their visions of BRICS+ and of globalization in the Global South and outside it. It is possible that India, Brazil, and South Africa see a more appealing option in expanding the membership in BRICS' New Development Bank by admitting regional partners; this paradigm has been used after Egypt was admitted to the NDB as South Africa's partner in the African Union, Uruguay was admitted as Brazil's partner in MERCOSUR, and Bangladesh as India's partner in BIMSTEC and the South Asian Free Trade Area.
Improving the functioning of BRICS Provisional Monetary Reserves Pool (PMRP) could also be a direction of ramping up international activities of BRICS. Recently, BRICS' PMRP has stepped up coordination with other regional financial organizations (RFOs) within regular consultations the IMF holds with RFOs. At the same time, BRICS' PMRP was significantly less active in its responses to crisis phenomena in BRICS states compared to BRICS' NDB. Another option is considering, as part of BRICS+, the possibility of bolstering BRICS' PMRP's mandate to monitor the macroeconomic situation in BRICS' states, to develop coordinated anti-crisis measures, and to interact with other RFOs from developing states and BRICS states' regional partners. In particular, there could be formed a regular coordination mechanism including BRICS' PMRP, the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD), ASEAN's Chiang Mai Initiative and their regional partners (CMIM), and Latin American RFO FLAR. Another area here could be expanding BRICS' PMRP membership by admitting BRICS states' regional partners, including several states admitted to BRICS' NDB.
On the whole, the prospects of transforming the world economy today are tightly bound to coordinating the activities of the largest countries of the Global South, primarily the BRICS states. However, a global restart of global economic development requires a larger interaction format, BRICS+, that will make it possible to engage other developing countries in the process. In this case, the process of reformatting the world economy will become truly inclusive and stable. The "integration of integrations" format involving cooperation between regional integration blocs of the Global South may become an important tool in scaling the global economic transformation. China's 2022 BRICS presidency may give an additional impetus to building platforms for interactions between regional groups of developing states.
Progress achieved by the BRICS nations in moving toward new platforms for cooperation between alliances of developing states may form the foundation of a common cooperation platform for all the states of the Global South. This expanded platform could advance inclusivity and openness in the development of the Global South countries, accelerate dynamics and structuring of the integration processes, could fill the gap and the lacunae on the map of integration processes in the developing world. So far, we can but state that developed countries are far better provided with dynamic and well-structured integration alliances than the countries of the Global South.
Official calls for further cooperation among BRICS nations (Официальные призывы к дальнейшему сотрудничеству между странами БРИКС) / China, April, 2022
Keywords: cooperation, top_level_meeting
2022-04-11
2022-04-11
China
Source: www.chinadaily.com.cn
Macro policy coordination will be of paramount importance among BRICS countries this year as the world faces continuing challenges induced by COVID-19 and the spillover effects of major economies need to be taken note of in particular, officials and experts said.
Liu Kun, China's finance minister, said on Friday that China will continue promoting financial cooperation among BRICS countries and work for practical results amid growing global growth pressures. Liu made the remarks when chairing the First BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in 2022, which was held virtually on Friday.
Liu said global growth momentum is weakening at the moment amid complex situations. Global development also faces obstacles.
He urged BRICS countries to demonstrate responsibility, solidarity and cooperation, strengthen macro policy coordination and facilitate steady economic recovery, according to a statement from the meeting issued by China's Ministry of Finance.
He said efforts shall be rolled out with the focus on promoting high-quality economic, social and environmental development through public-private partnerships, while experience and knowledge sharing will be stepped up regarding infrastructure investments.
China incentivizes efforts that can bring the role of fiscal and financial think tanks of all BRICS countries into full play, to give more support for further coordination and advancing cooperation among BRICS countries, according to Liu.
Shi Yinghua, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences, said macroeconomic policy coordination will be particularly crucial this year. This is because the spillover effects from major advanced economies will generate impacts, as some of them are now pivoting macro policy stances.
"It's a delicate balancing act for every economy to realize steady growth and keep prices and employment relatively stable in the face of external shocks," she said. "This will be particularly challenging for BRICS countries, who are all developing countries."
Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, noted that all member countries of BRICS are major economies in their own region.
"As most BRICS countries are export-oriented economies, external dynamics may lead to crucial challenges to their growth. Therefore, as with all regional major economies, the stable growth of each BRICS country will be particularly meaningful for a stable global recovery this year," he said.
On Friday, Liu also urged the BRICS New Development Bank, a multinational bank headquartered in Shanghai and established by BRICS countries, to step up in formulating its second five-year strategy and to expand and include more new members.
Zhou said in recent years, the NDB has worked effectively in channeling funds to areas that are of most concern to BRICS countries. Such support will continue to be important for the economic recovery of BRICS countries.
The Friday meeting was co-chaired by Liu and China's central bank governor Yi Gang, with the participation of finance ministers and central bank governors from other BRICS countries. China is the chair of BRICS this year. BRICS is the acronym for an emerging market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Source: www.chinadaily.com.cn
Macro policy coordination will be of paramount importance among BRICS countries this year as the world faces continuing challenges induced by COVID-19 and the spillover effects of major economies need to be taken note of in particular, officials and experts said.
Liu Kun, China's finance minister, said on Friday that China will continue promoting financial cooperation among BRICS countries and work for practical results amid growing global growth pressures. Liu made the remarks when chairing the First BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in 2022, which was held virtually on Friday.
Liu said global growth momentum is weakening at the moment amid complex situations. Global development also faces obstacles.
He urged BRICS countries to demonstrate responsibility, solidarity and cooperation, strengthen macro policy coordination and facilitate steady economic recovery, according to a statement from the meeting issued by China's Ministry of Finance.
He said efforts shall be rolled out with the focus on promoting high-quality economic, social and environmental development through public-private partnerships, while experience and knowledge sharing will be stepped up regarding infrastructure investments.
China incentivizes efforts that can bring the role of fiscal and financial think tanks of all BRICS countries into full play, to give more support for further coordination and advancing cooperation among BRICS countries, according to Liu.
Shi Yinghua, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences, said macroeconomic policy coordination will be particularly crucial this year. This is because the spillover effects from major advanced economies will generate impacts, as some of them are now pivoting macro policy stances.
"It's a delicate balancing act for every economy to realize steady growth and keep prices and employment relatively stable in the face of external shocks," she said. "This will be particularly challenging for BRICS countries, who are all developing countries."
Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, noted that all member countries of BRICS are major economies in their own region.
"As most BRICS countries are export-oriented economies, external dynamics may lead to crucial challenges to their growth. Therefore, as with all regional major economies, the stable growth of each BRICS country will be particularly meaningful for a stable global recovery this year," he said.
On Friday, Liu also urged the BRICS New Development Bank, a multinational bank headquartered in Shanghai and established by BRICS countries, to step up in formulating its second five-year strategy and to expand and include more new members.
Zhou said in recent years, the NDB has worked effectively in channeling funds to areas that are of most concern to BRICS countries. Such support will continue to be important for the economic recovery of BRICS countries.
The Friday meeting was co-chaired by Liu and China's central bank governor Yi Gang, with the participation of finance ministers and central bank governors from other BRICS countries. China is the chair of BRICS this year. BRICS is the acronym for an emerging market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
BRICS meet likely in June, India to attend China-hosted event (Встреча БРИКС, скорее всего, состоится в июне, Индия примет участие в мероприятии, организованном Китаем) / India, April, 2022
Keywords: summit
2022-04-17
2022-04-17
India
Source: www.thehindu.com
Delhi's confirmation comes weeks after visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
Weeks after the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Delhi, India has agreed to attend a virtual summit of leaders of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa grouping, likely to be held at the end of June, sources here have confirmed.
The dates of the meeting, that will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same platform as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of Brazil and South Africa for the first time since the Ukraine war began, are still being finalised, the sources said, although June 23-24 have been suggested as dates for the summit.
India hosted last year's BRICS summit, which was also held virtually, and attended by the five leaders. This is the first summit hosted by China since the tensions broke out at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) due to the PLA's transgressions in April 2020.
Ahead of this year's summit, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Delhi last month, which was seen as possibly heralding a gradual normalisation of ties. His visit was notably the first since the LAC stand-off began.
Ahead of G-7 meet
Significantly, leaders of the G-7 grouping comprising Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Canada and the U.S. will meet in the Bavarian Alps on June 26-28, just a couple of days after the proposed BRICS summit. It is unclear whether PM Modi, who is already travelling for a bilateral meeting to Germany on May 1, is on the list of special invitees to the G-7 summit, which is still being prepared, officials said.
Meanwhile, a number of other preparatory meetings hosted for the BRICS summit are underway. In a meeting on April 12, BRICS health ministers including Mansukh Mandaviya held a virtual launch of the "BRICS Vaccine R&D Centre" to conduct "vaccine joint research, plant co-construction, authorised local production, and mutual recognition of standards", the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. On Tuesday, counter-terrorism officials will meet to discuss "targeted Financial Sanctions Related to Terrorism and Terrorist Financing" during a plenary session.
Trade options
Ahead of the summit, Sherpas of the five countries, including MEA Secretary for Multilateral and Economic Relations Dammu Ravi, met virtually on April 12-13, to discuss the dates and format of the meetings ahead. They also discussed the agenda, expected to include the Ukraine conflict, financial mechanisms to deal with sanctions against Russia, and cooperation against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Worldview with Suhasini Haidar | Why won't India budge on Russia?
In a statement released at the end of the Sherpa's meetings, the Chinese MFA said BRICS countries clarified a "common position on the Ukraine issue" during the Sherpa meeting chaired by BRICS coordinator and Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, expressing concern over the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and support for multilateralism, adherence to the UN Charter, respect for the legitimate security concerns of all countries, and support for continued dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking at the BRICS Finance Ministers meeting earlier this month, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov called for the use of national currencies for BRICS countries, integration of payment systems and cards, their own financial messaging system and the creation of an independent BRICS rating agency. The measures would effectively circumvent some of the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and European Union, which none of the BRICS countries have joined.
While India and China have been engaging through the BRICS framework, on the bilateral front, India's message to China over the past two years has been that it cannot be "business as usual" with the LAC crisis still unresolved.
Business with Beijing
One other area of normalcy is the trade front, where business has been booming. Two-way trade in 2021 reached $125 billion, crossing the $100 billion mark for the first time, driven by India's imports of Chinese goods, most notably electronic products and chemicals, including Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), which India's pharma industry relies on.
Trade figures released last week showed the trend has continued into the new year, despite New Delhi's avowed intention of diversifying imports and reducing trade with China, with imports in the first quarter of 2022 reaching $31.96 billion, up 15% from last year's figure, which was itself a record. Since the start of the pandemic, India has also imported more medical supplies from China than any other country.
India has, however, kept in place measures to closely scrutinise Chinese investments. Chinese private equity and VC investments have fallen below $1 billion for the first time since 2017, according to research firm Venture Intelligence. New Delhi has also scrutinised the financial practices of Chinese companies in India, with the ED carrying out investigations and raids on a number of firms, including Xiaomi, Huawei and Oppo. Last week, the ED summoned Xiaomi's former India head, and current Global VP, Manu Kumar Jain, over an investigation into whether it had complied with foreign exchange regulations.
Some investments from China have, however, been cleared. Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash told Parliament last month India had received 347 FDI proposals from neighbouring countries since April 2020. Most are thought to be from China or China-linked firms, and of them, 66 had been cleared, while 193 had been rejected or withdrawn. Those cleared included investments in the auto, chemicals and electronics sectors.
Source: www.thehindu.com
Delhi's confirmation comes weeks after visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
Weeks after the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Delhi, India has agreed to attend a virtual summit of leaders of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa grouping, likely to be held at the end of June, sources here have confirmed.
The dates of the meeting, that will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same platform as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of Brazil and South Africa for the first time since the Ukraine war began, are still being finalised, the sources said, although June 23-24 have been suggested as dates for the summit.
India hosted last year's BRICS summit, which was also held virtually, and attended by the five leaders. This is the first summit hosted by China since the tensions broke out at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) due to the PLA's transgressions in April 2020.
Ahead of this year's summit, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Delhi last month, which was seen as possibly heralding a gradual normalisation of ties. His visit was notably the first since the LAC stand-off began.
Ahead of G-7 meet
Significantly, leaders of the G-7 grouping comprising Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Canada and the U.S. will meet in the Bavarian Alps on June 26-28, just a couple of days after the proposed BRICS summit. It is unclear whether PM Modi, who is already travelling for a bilateral meeting to Germany on May 1, is on the list of special invitees to the G-7 summit, which is still being prepared, officials said.
Meanwhile, a number of other preparatory meetings hosted for the BRICS summit are underway. In a meeting on April 12, BRICS health ministers including Mansukh Mandaviya held a virtual launch of the "BRICS Vaccine R&D Centre" to conduct "vaccine joint research, plant co-construction, authorised local production, and mutual recognition of standards", the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. On Tuesday, counter-terrorism officials will meet to discuss "targeted Financial Sanctions Related to Terrorism and Terrorist Financing" during a plenary session.
Trade options
Ahead of the summit, Sherpas of the five countries, including MEA Secretary for Multilateral and Economic Relations Dammu Ravi, met virtually on April 12-13, to discuss the dates and format of the meetings ahead. They also discussed the agenda, expected to include the Ukraine conflict, financial mechanisms to deal with sanctions against Russia, and cooperation against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Worldview with Suhasini Haidar | Why won't India budge on Russia?
In a statement released at the end of the Sherpa's meetings, the Chinese MFA said BRICS countries clarified a "common position on the Ukraine issue" during the Sherpa meeting chaired by BRICS coordinator and Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, expressing concern over the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and support for multilateralism, adherence to the UN Charter, respect for the legitimate security concerns of all countries, and support for continued dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking at the BRICS Finance Ministers meeting earlier this month, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov called for the use of national currencies for BRICS countries, integration of payment systems and cards, their own financial messaging system and the creation of an independent BRICS rating agency. The measures would effectively circumvent some of the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and European Union, which none of the BRICS countries have joined.
While India and China have been engaging through the BRICS framework, on the bilateral front, India's message to China over the past two years has been that it cannot be "business as usual" with the LAC crisis still unresolved.
Business with Beijing
One other area of normalcy is the trade front, where business has been booming. Two-way trade in 2021 reached $125 billion, crossing the $100 billion mark for the first time, driven by India's imports of Chinese goods, most notably electronic products and chemicals, including Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), which India's pharma industry relies on.
Trade figures released last week showed the trend has continued into the new year, despite New Delhi's avowed intention of diversifying imports and reducing trade with China, with imports in the first quarter of 2022 reaching $31.96 billion, up 15% from last year's figure, which was itself a record. Since the start of the pandemic, India has also imported more medical supplies from China than any other country.
India has, however, kept in place measures to closely scrutinise Chinese investments. Chinese private equity and VC investments have fallen below $1 billion for the first time since 2017, according to research firm Venture Intelligence. New Delhi has also scrutinised the financial practices of Chinese companies in India, with the ED carrying out investigations and raids on a number of firms, including Xiaomi, Huawei and Oppo. Last week, the ED summoned Xiaomi's former India head, and current Global VP, Manu Kumar Jain, over an investigation into whether it had complied with foreign exchange regulations.
Some investments from China have, however, been cleared. Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash told Parliament last month India had received 347 FDI proposals from neighbouring countries since April 2020. Most are thought to be from China or China-linked firms, and of them, 66 had been cleared, while 193 had been rejected or withdrawn. Those cleared included investments in the auto, chemicals and electronics sectors.
BRICS urged to enhance collaboration (БРИКС призвали к расширению сотрудничества) / China, April, 2022
Keywords: political_issues
2022-04-15
2022-04-15
China
Source: www.chinadaily.com.cn
Five member countries voice support for comprehensive solution to Ukraine issue
China hopes that BRICS will further enhance communication and coordination on major international and regional affairs, contribute to the political settlement of hot spot issues, and put forth BRICS proposals to uphold world peace, a senior diplomat said.
Ma Zhaoxu, sherpa for BRICS affairs and vice-foreign minister, made the remark while hosting a two-day meeting via video link of BRICS sherpas from the member countries－Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The meeting, which concluded on Wednesday, came amid the Ukraine conflict, with the BRICS countries highly concerned about the situation.
Ma said the BRICS nations, as outstanding representatives of emerging markets and developing countries, should deepen their strategic partnership and act as a stabilizer in the current situation and a booster of development.
China stands ready to continue to strengthen communication and coordination, advance practical cooperation with BRICS partners and demonstrate the unique strategic value of BRICS, Ma added.
The BRICS countries all voiced their support for multilateralism and maintained that the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter should be observed, and the reasonable security concerns of all countries should be respected.
They noted that they support dialogue and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to seek a comprehensive solution to the Ukraine issue. The countries are also deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine and support all efforts for Ukrainian humanitarian aid.
They also paid special attention to the serious negative consequences of unilateral sanctions, which undermine industrial and supply chains and food and energy security and affect the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The five countries called for putting more emphasis on addressing the concerns of developing countries to ensure that people's livelihoods in all countries can be shielded from economic impacts.
The sherpas' meeting, the second of its kind this year, was held at a critical stage during preparations for the 14th BRICS Leaders' Meeting. The first one was held in January.
More than 20 events have been held and a number of positive results have been achieved in key areas, such as global governance and epidemic prevention and control, since China assumed the rotating presidency of BRICS on Jan 1, Ma said.
The five countries officially launched the BRICS Vaccine R&D Center last month and proposed to strengthen vaccination cooperation and jointly build a "BRICS defense line" to fight the pandemic, which Ma lauded as an important milestone.
"In response to serious challenges to global development, we should place development at the center of our cooperation," Ma said, underlining the need for BRICS to safeguard the shared interests of emerging markets and developing countries and contribute to advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Ma called for the five countries to improve global economic governance by promoting multilateralism and pushing globalization to be more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all.
Last week, the BRICS countries held this year's first BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, agreeing on finance cooperation and stronger policy coordination to promote global economic recovery.
Source: www.chinadaily.com.cn
Five member countries voice support for comprehensive solution to Ukraine issue
China hopes that BRICS will further enhance communication and coordination on major international and regional affairs, contribute to the political settlement of hot spot issues, and put forth BRICS proposals to uphold world peace, a senior diplomat said.
Ma Zhaoxu, sherpa for BRICS affairs and vice-foreign minister, made the remark while hosting a two-day meeting via video link of BRICS sherpas from the member countries－Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The meeting, which concluded on Wednesday, came amid the Ukraine conflict, with the BRICS countries highly concerned about the situation.
Ma said the BRICS nations, as outstanding representatives of emerging markets and developing countries, should deepen their strategic partnership and act as a stabilizer in the current situation and a booster of development.
China stands ready to continue to strengthen communication and coordination, advance practical cooperation with BRICS partners and demonstrate the unique strategic value of BRICS, Ma added.
The BRICS countries all voiced their support for multilateralism and maintained that the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter should be observed, and the reasonable security concerns of all countries should be respected.
They noted that they support dialogue and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to seek a comprehensive solution to the Ukraine issue. The countries are also deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine and support all efforts for Ukrainian humanitarian aid.
They also paid special attention to the serious negative consequences of unilateral sanctions, which undermine industrial and supply chains and food and energy security and affect the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The five countries called for putting more emphasis on addressing the concerns of developing countries to ensure that people's livelihoods in all countries can be shielded from economic impacts.
The sherpas' meeting, the second of its kind this year, was held at a critical stage during preparations for the 14th BRICS Leaders' Meeting. The first one was held in January.
More than 20 events have been held and a number of positive results have been achieved in key areas, such as global governance and epidemic prevention and control, since China assumed the rotating presidency of BRICS on Jan 1, Ma said.
The five countries officially launched the BRICS Vaccine R&D Center last month and proposed to strengthen vaccination cooperation and jointly build a "BRICS defense line" to fight the pandemic, which Ma lauded as an important milestone.
"In response to serious challenges to global development, we should place development at the center of our cooperation," Ma said, underlining the need for BRICS to safeguard the shared interests of emerging markets and developing countries and contribute to advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Ma called for the five countries to improve global economic governance by promoting multilateralism and pushing globalization to be more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all.
Last week, the BRICS countries held this year's first BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, agreeing on finance cooperation and stronger policy coordination to promote global economic recovery.
Ryabkov discusses with BRICS Sherpas preparations for summit, meeting of foreign ministers (Рябков обсудил с шерпами БРИКС подготовку к саммиту, встрече глав МИД) / Russia, April, 2022
Keywords: foreign_minister_meeting, summit
2022-04-14
2022-04-14
Russia
Source: tass.com
In addition, there was an exchange of views on the situation in and around Ukraine
MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov took part in a meeting of the BRICS Sherpas and Sous Sherpas (Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa) and discussed with his colleagues preparations for the organization's summit and the meeting of the five foreign ministers, as well as the situation in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
"The participants discussed preparations for the summit of the association, which is scheduled for this summer, as well as the upcoming meeting of the foreign ministers of the P5 states," the ministry said.
In addition, there was an exchange of views on the situation in and around Ukraine. "The BRICS countries outlined their national approaches to the current crisis. Ryabkov briefed his colleagues on our respective assessments," the ministry added.
For his part, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, China's BRICS Sherpa, stressed "the P5's commitment to multilateralism, compliance with the UN Charter while respecting the legitimate security interests of each UN member state." "Support was expressed for the dialogue and negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine in order to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the Ukrainian issue. Attention was paid to the humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine, the facilitation of humanitarian aid efforts, including the contribution of the International Committee of the Red Cross and UN agencies," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Concern was also expressed about the consequences of unilateral sanctions on the global economy. "It was stressed that such measures deal a blow to efforts to implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The BRICS countries called for serious attention to the concerns of developing countries, guarantees of the well-being of the population of all nations," the ministry stressed.
Source: tass.com
In addition, there was an exchange of views on the situation in and around Ukraine
MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov took part in a meeting of the BRICS Sherpas and Sous Sherpas (Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa) and discussed with his colleagues preparations for the organization's summit and the meeting of the five foreign ministers, as well as the situation in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
"The participants discussed preparations for the summit of the association, which is scheduled for this summer, as well as the upcoming meeting of the foreign ministers of the P5 states," the ministry said.
In addition, there was an exchange of views on the situation in and around Ukraine. "The BRICS countries outlined their national approaches to the current crisis. Ryabkov briefed his colleagues on our respective assessments," the ministry added.
For his part, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, China's BRICS Sherpa, stressed "the P5's commitment to multilateralism, compliance with the UN Charter while respecting the legitimate security interests of each UN member state." "Support was expressed for the dialogue and negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine in order to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the Ukrainian issue. Attention was paid to the humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine, the facilitation of humanitarian aid efforts, including the contribution of the International Committee of the Red Cross and UN agencies," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Concern was also expressed about the consequences of unilateral sanctions on the global economy. "It was stressed that such measures deal a blow to efforts to implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The BRICS countries called for serious attention to the concerns of developing countries, guarantees of the well-being of the population of all nations," the ministry stressed.
The New Polycentric International Order / By Pedro Costa Júnior (Новый полицентричный международный порядок / Педро Коста Джуниор) / Russia, April, 2022
Keywords: political_issues, expert_opinion
2022-04-15
2022-04-15
Russia
Source: www.nkibrics.ru
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dismantling of the USSR in 1991 brought the end of the bipolar international order that had ruled the world for almost half a century. From the literature capturing the history of international relations, we can understand the phrase "international order" to refer, essentially, to a certain collection (in motion) bringing together norms, institutions and power structures that modify, limit and direct the behavior of the actors that make up the world-system during a certain period.
There are two unequivocal historical movements in every transition and subsequent establishment of a certain world order: the pen and the bomb, that is, war and peace. This was the case in the "Peace of Westphalia", in 1648, which was the outcome of what has been known as the Wars of Religion. In Vienna, in 1815, the Napoleonic Wars were followed by the "Concert of Europe". We see the same pattern in the so-called "Peace of Versailles", in 1919, at the end of the First World War. Or even in Yalta, Potsdam and San Francisco, in 1945, with the end of the Second World War. After the Soviet collapse in 1991, the US bombing of Iraq, in the First Gulf War, established, through the power of weapons, new power dynamics in the international field.
Given this situation, from the 1990s onwards, the United States and the European Union prioritized in their geopolitical agenda the "management" of the dismantling of the "Russian empire", due to its economic consequences and the old geopolitical challenge around Central Europe. The Americans hastened the expansion of NATO and quickly took over the military positions left by the Soviet army in Central Europe. The United States and its Western allies explicitly supported the autonomy of states from the former Soviet "zone of influence" and actively promoted the dismemberment of Russian territory.
Starting with Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, followed by Ukraine, Belarus, the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asian countries. They supported the independence of Kosovo, pressured the deployment of its "anti-missile shield" in Central Europe and began to openly arm and train the armies of Ukraine, Georgia and Central Asian countries, disregarding the fact that most of these countries belonged to Russian territory during the previous three centuries. They also ignored the dissonance and warning of respected internal voices such as George Kennan, the "containment theorist", who predicted how NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe would be its tragedy, and Henry Kissinger, who advocated that the so-called "zones of influence" of the great powers should be respected.
After the humiliation Russia was subjected to during the Yeltsin years, in this new century we see the Russian renaissance. Russia has been explicitly pursuing a policy of empowerment. It is notable that the Russian reaction began with the government of Vladimir Putin in 2000 and its strategic reorientation. The Russian president has recentralized power. He reconstituted the Russian state and economy, rebuilding its military-industrial complex and nationalizing its vast energy resources. He articulated the construction of the BRICS. Possessing the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet, the new Russian government warned the United States of the possibility of a new nuclear race if it continued with its project of developing an "anti-ballistic shield" in Central Europe – more precisely in Poland.
In August 2007, Putin planted a titanium Russian flag in international waters deep in the Arctic. In 2008, Russian troops intervened in Georgia. In 2014 Crimea was incorporated by Russia as a new subject of the Federation, within the aftermath of the Ukrainian crisis. Putin, moreover, posed an impediment to any Western intervention in Syria and has secured his ally, Bashar al-Assad, in power. And since then, he has strengthened his strategic ties with China, especially after the sanctions imposed by the US and the European Union following the Ukrainian crisis.
On February 4, 2022, strategically at the opening of the XXIV Winter Games, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin met in Beijing. On the occasion, in addition to participating in the opening ceremony of the games, the two heads of state released a "Joint Declaration" that drew attention both for its assertiveness and for its scope.
The two countries announced a high-level and unprecedented alliance in the history of the world-system: "The new inter-state relations between Russia and China are superior to the political and military alliances of the Cold War era. The friendship between the two States has no limits, there are no 'prohibited' areas of cooperation", according to the text.
The long document deals with virtually all relevant aspects of international politics, democracy and human rights, pandemic, defense of peace, colour revolutions, shared and sustainable development, combating climate change, terrorism, internet governance, communicational warfare, etc.
In essence, the document as a whole represents a defense of multilateralism and a new polycentric international order. It reveals a solid intention of the two countries in unity, openly contesting the post-Cold War, Atlanticist and Anglo-Saxon international order, as well as the end of American hegemony. It establishes that the world-system undergoes a transformation in its governance architecture and world order. According to the text, "humanity is entering a new era" and "sees the development of processes and phenomena such as multipolarity, economic globalization, advent of the information society, cultural diversity, transformation of the architecture of global governance and world order".
The letter points directly to NATO and sets clear limits for its role in this new world order. The document reads: "The parties oppose further enlargement of NATO and call on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon its ideological Cold War approaches and respect the sovereignty, security and interests of other countries. The parties oppose the formation of closed bloc structures and opposing camps in the Asia-Pacific region and remain highly vigilant about the negative impact on peace and stability in the strategic region of the US Indo-Pacific."
It points to an inexorable "Eurasian" rise of power: political, economic, technological, military, diplomatic, cultural, sports… The expression of such a shift, besides the partnership and the document itself, would be, among others, the Chinese development project of the "Belt and Road Initiative", the greater Eurasian integration with multilateral organizations such as the G20, ASEAN, BRICS and in particular the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). At the end, one of the conclusions of the text highlights: "Russia and China intend to comprehensively strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and further improve their role in the formation of a polycentric world order based on the universally recognized principles of international law, multilateralism, equitable, joint, indivisible, broad and sustainable security".
The history of international relations demonstrates that any breach of an established world order implies the use of force. Twenty days after Putin's visit to Xi in Beijing and the release of this Sino-Russian document that clearly and unequivocally challenges the post-Cold War international order, Russian troops were sent to Ukraine within the frameworks of an early announced special military operation. And, through the power of its military, Russia, supported by its great ally, China, inaugurates a new era in the world.
A new polycentric international order has been established, putting an end to the infinite expansionism of NATO and the hegemony of the USA, which lasted for thirty long years.
Source: www.nkibrics.ru
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dismantling of the USSR in 1991 brought the end of the bipolar international order that had ruled the world for almost half a century. From the literature capturing the history of international relations, we can understand the phrase "international order" to refer, essentially, to a certain collection (in motion) bringing together norms, institutions and power structures that modify, limit and direct the behavior of the actors that make up the world-system during a certain period.
There are two unequivocal historical movements in every transition and subsequent establishment of a certain world order: the pen and the bomb, that is, war and peace. This was the case in the "Peace of Westphalia", in 1648, which was the outcome of what has been known as the Wars of Religion. In Vienna, in 1815, the Napoleonic Wars were followed by the "Concert of Europe". We see the same pattern in the so-called "Peace of Versailles", in 1919, at the end of the First World War. Or even in Yalta, Potsdam and San Francisco, in 1945, with the end of the Second World War. After the Soviet collapse in 1991, the US bombing of Iraq, in the First Gulf War, established, through the power of weapons, new power dynamics in the international field.
Given this situation, from the 1990s onwards, the United States and the European Union prioritized in their geopolitical agenda the "management" of the dismantling of the "Russian empire", due to its economic consequences and the old geopolitical challenge around Central Europe. The Americans hastened the expansion of NATO and quickly took over the military positions left by the Soviet army in Central Europe. The United States and its Western allies explicitly supported the autonomy of states from the former Soviet "zone of influence" and actively promoted the dismemberment of Russian territory.
Starting with Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, followed by Ukraine, Belarus, the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asian countries. They supported the independence of Kosovo, pressured the deployment of its "anti-missile shield" in Central Europe and began to openly arm and train the armies of Ukraine, Georgia and Central Asian countries, disregarding the fact that most of these countries belonged to Russian territory during the previous three centuries. They also ignored the dissonance and warning of respected internal voices such as George Kennan, the "containment theorist", who predicted how NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe would be its tragedy, and Henry Kissinger, who advocated that the so-called "zones of influence" of the great powers should be respected.
After the humiliation Russia was subjected to during the Yeltsin years, in this new century we see the Russian renaissance. Russia has been explicitly pursuing a policy of empowerment. It is notable that the Russian reaction began with the government of Vladimir Putin in 2000 and its strategic reorientation. The Russian president has recentralized power. He reconstituted the Russian state and economy, rebuilding its military-industrial complex and nationalizing its vast energy resources. He articulated the construction of the BRICS. Possessing the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet, the new Russian government warned the United States of the possibility of a new nuclear race if it continued with its project of developing an "anti-ballistic shield" in Central Europe – more precisely in Poland.
In August 2007, Putin planted a titanium Russian flag in international waters deep in the Arctic. In 2008, Russian troops intervened in Georgia. In 2014 Crimea was incorporated by Russia as a new subject of the Federation, within the aftermath of the Ukrainian crisis. Putin, moreover, posed an impediment to any Western intervention in Syria and has secured his ally, Bashar al-Assad, in power. And since then, he has strengthened his strategic ties with China, especially after the sanctions imposed by the US and the European Union following the Ukrainian crisis.
On February 4, 2022, strategically at the opening of the XXIV Winter Games, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin met in Beijing. On the occasion, in addition to participating in the opening ceremony of the games, the two heads of state released a "Joint Declaration" that drew attention both for its assertiveness and for its scope.
The two countries announced a high-level and unprecedented alliance in the history of the world-system: "The new inter-state relations between Russia and China are superior to the political and military alliances of the Cold War era. The friendship between the two States has no limits, there are no 'prohibited' areas of cooperation", according to the text.
The long document deals with virtually all relevant aspects of international politics, democracy and human rights, pandemic, defense of peace, colour revolutions, shared and sustainable development, combating climate change, terrorism, internet governance, communicational warfare, etc.
In essence, the document as a whole represents a defense of multilateralism and a new polycentric international order. It reveals a solid intention of the two countries in unity, openly contesting the post-Cold War, Atlanticist and Anglo-Saxon international order, as well as the end of American hegemony. It establishes that the world-system undergoes a transformation in its governance architecture and world order. According to the text, "humanity is entering a new era" and "sees the development of processes and phenomena such as multipolarity, economic globalization, advent of the information society, cultural diversity, transformation of the architecture of global governance and world order".
The letter points directly to NATO and sets clear limits for its role in this new world order. The document reads: "The parties oppose further enlargement of NATO and call on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon its ideological Cold War approaches and respect the sovereignty, security and interests of other countries. The parties oppose the formation of closed bloc structures and opposing camps in the Asia-Pacific region and remain highly vigilant about the negative impact on peace and stability in the strategic region of the US Indo-Pacific."
It points to an inexorable "Eurasian" rise of power: political, economic, technological, military, diplomatic, cultural, sports… The expression of such a shift, besides the partnership and the document itself, would be, among others, the Chinese development project of the "Belt and Road Initiative", the greater Eurasian integration with multilateral organizations such as the G20, ASEAN, BRICS and in particular the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). At the end, one of the conclusions of the text highlights: "Russia and China intend to comprehensively strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and further improve their role in the formation of a polycentric world order based on the universally recognized principles of international law, multilateralism, equitable, joint, indivisible, broad and sustainable security".
The history of international relations demonstrates that any breach of an established world order implies the use of force. Twenty days after Putin's visit to Xi in Beijing and the release of this Sino-Russian document that clearly and unequivocally challenges the post-Cold War international order, Russian troops were sent to Ukraine within the frameworks of an early announced special military operation. And, through the power of its military, Russia, supported by its great ally, China, inaugurates a new era in the world.
A new polycentric international order has been established, putting an end to the infinite expansionism of NATO and the hegemony of the USA, which lasted for thirty long years.
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