BRICS amidst India‐China Rivalry
| Published date | 01 September 2021 |
| Author | Raj Verma,Mihaela Papa |
| Date | 01 September 2021 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12977 |
BRICS amidst India-China Rivalry
Raj Verma
Huaqiao University
Mihaela Papa
Tufts University
Abstract
In only a decade, the BRICS group has achieved policy coordination among five very disparate countries and has started pre-
senting a serious challenge to the status quo in global governance. It is now collaborating on many policy issues and delegat-
ing authority to a range of BRICS organizations. Since the inception of BRICS, the protracted India–China rivalry has cast a
dark shadow over the group. In the aftermath of the India–China standoff in Ladakh, especially the Galwan Valley clash evok-
ing memories of more serious clashes such as those at Nathu La in 1967 and even the 1962 border war, a crucial axis of BRICS
cooperation –the India–China relationship –has deteriorated. This Special Section examines whether the India–China rivalry
will render BRICS dysfunctional. Will the BRICS group be broken? The contributors will analyse whether BRICS can be a pacify-
ing force and outline the prospects for the development of BRICS in light of the India–China crisis.
In reviewing the past progress of BRICS coopera-
tion, I believe there are three important practices
that should be carried forward. First, treating each
other as equals and seeking common ground while
shelving differences ... Second, taking a results-
oriented, innovative approach to make our cooper-
ation benefit all ... Third, developing ourselves to
help others with the well-being of the world in our
mind. President Xi Jinping (Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFAPRC, 2017)
President Xi and I have met many times in the last
four years ... These high-level engagements have
enabled us to take forward the ‘Astana spirit’in our
relations –that is, not to allow differences to
become disputes and to work together as large
developing and neighbouring countries in all possi-
ble areas of cooperation, not only for the benefitof
the people of our two countries but also for the
betterment of the region and the world. --Prime
Minister Narendra Modi (The Times of India, 2018)
The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa)
group has become a significant political force over the
past decade. It launched and strengthened collaboration
among five major ‘rising powers’which together repre-
sent about 42 per cent of the world’s population, 23
per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), 30 per
cent of the territory and 18 per cent of the global trade
(Minist
erio das Relacß
~
oes Exteriores, 2019). It has posi-
tioned itself as a champion for diversifying global lead-
ership and an advocate for innovation in international
institutions. Given the political, economic and security
relevance of BRICS, it has become common to discuss
how the group can challenge US leadership, revise the
system of global governance, and change the nature of
international politics itself (see e.g. Xu, 2020; Kirton and
Larionova, 2018).
While more extensive engagement between India and
China during the Hu Jintao era (2004–2012) has made these
developments possible, the current tensions –due to the
crisis along the disputed and un-demarcated line of actual
control (LAC) especially the Galwan Valley clash –and dete-
rioration in bilateral ties challenge BRICS evolution and the
prospects for global governance reform. Does this represent
the end of the BRICS momentum or is it a temporary flare-
up that the group can overcome?
1.The rise of BRICS and its relevance in global
governance
The BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) collaboration has
evolved in the context of the 2007/2008 financial crisis, but
it was two milestones that gave it its current shape. The first
is Russia’s initiative to start the BRIC summitry in 2009,
which launched independent meetings of the heads of state
and government. The second milestone is South Africa’s
entry into the BRIC club in December 2010, which trans-
formed the BRIC from a gathering of the largest emerging
economies into BRICS, a geopolitical association of regional
powers with global representation across four continents.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), BRICS
will account for 50 per cent of the global GDP by 2030,
which will further strengthen its leverage in global gover-
nance (Devonshire-Ellis, 2019).
Global Policy (2021) 12:4 doi: 10.1111/1758-5899.12977©2021 The Authors. Global Policy published by Durham University and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, whic h permits use and
distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Global Policy Volume 12 . Issue 4 . September 2021509
Special Section Article
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