Oliver Stuenkel: ‘Behind the Scenes, Brics Fear an Out-of-Control China’

Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has consistently vacillated in his approach toward certain Brics countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Ethiopia. Has the bloc missed an opportunity to unite against the American giant? This is the viewpoint of Oliver Stuenkel, a researcher at the Carnegie Foundation and professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation School of International Relations, who, in a recent article in Foreign Affairs, argued with Alexander Gabuev that the Brics ‘missed their chance’. Stuenkel admits that he expected cooperation among the group to accelerate under the influence of Trump’s policies. However, structural divergences persist among the members, as he noted, ‘Not only do all Brics countries have different priorities, but the level of antagonism towards international institutions varies significantly from one country to another.’ This inability to unite is symptomatic of a refusal by member countries to align themselves with Chinese superpower. ‘Now, Brics are not just worried about an unrestrained Washington. They also fear that Beijing will become out of control… Apart from Russia, the Brics countries do not want to become pawns of China.’ Interview.