logo
Leaders of growing BRICS group gather for Rio summit

Leaders of growing BRICS group gather for Rio summit

CNA2 days ago
RIO DE JANEIRO: Leaders of the growing BRICS group of developing nations were set to gather in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday (Jul 6), calling for reform of traditional Western institutions while presenting the bloc as a defender of multilateralism in an increasingly fractured world.
With forums such as the G7 and G20 groups of major economies hamstrung by divisions and the disruptive "America First" approach of US President Donald Trump, expansion of the BRICS has opened new space for diplomatic coordination.
"In the face of the resurgence of protectionism, it is up to emerging nations to defend the multilateral trade regime and reform the international financial architecture," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told a BRICS business forum on Saturday.
BRICS nations now represent over half the world's population and 40 per cent of its economic output, Lula noted.
The BRICS group gathered leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as full members. This is the first leaders' summit to include Indonesia.
"The vacuum left by others ends up being filled almost instantly by the BRICS," said a Brazilian diplomat who asked not to be named. Although the G7 still concentrates vast power, the source added, "it doesn't have the predominance it once did".
However, there are questions about the shared goals of an increasingly heterogeneous BRICS group, which has grown to include regional rivals along with major emerging economies.
Stealing some thunder from this year's summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping chose to send his prime minister in his place. Russian President Vladimir Putin is attending online due to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
Still, many heads of state will gather for discussions at Rio's Museum of Modern Art on Sunday and Monday, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
GROWING CLOUT, COMPLEXITY
Brazil, which also hosts the United Nations climate summit in November, has seized on both gatherings to highlight how seriously developing nations are tackling climate change, while Trump has slammed the brakes on US climate initiatives.
Both China and the UAE signaled in meetings with Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad in Rio that they plan to invest in a proposed Tropical Forests Forever Facility, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions about funding conservation of endangered forests around the world.
Expansion of the BRICS has added diplomatic weight to the gathering, which aspires to speak for developing nations across the Global South, strengthening calls for reforming global institutions such as the United Nations Security Council and the International Monetary Fund.
The growth of the bloc has also increased the challenges to reaching consensus on contentious geopolitical issues.
Ahead of the summit, negotiators struggled to find shared language for a joint statement about the bombardment of Gaza, the Israel-Iran conflict and a proposed reform of the Security Council, said two of the sources, who requested anonymity to speak openly.
To overcome differences among African nations regarding the continent's proposed representative to a reformed Security Council, the group agreed to endorse seats for Brazil and India while leaving open which country should represent Africa's interests, a person familiar with the talks told Reuters.
The BRICS will also continue their thinly veiled criticism of Trump's US tariff policy. At an April ministerial meeting, the bloc expressed concern about "unjustified unilateral protectionist measures, including the indiscriminate increase of reciprocal tariffs".
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump to Brazil: 'Leave Bolsonaro alone'
Trump to Brazil: 'Leave Bolsonaro alone'

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Trump to Brazil: 'Leave Bolsonaro alone'

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro looks on during \"Power of The People\" event hosted by Turning Point USA at Trump National Doral Miami Resort in Doral, Florida, U.S., February 3, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Bello/File Photo WASHINGTON/SAO PAULO - U.S. President Donald Trump defended former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday in a social media post that said his former ally was the victim of a "witch hunt," a term Trump has used to describe his own treatment by political opponents. Bolsonaro, who was friendly with Trump when they were both in office, is on trial in Brazil on charges of plotting a coup to stop Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023. "The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil — It's called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!" Trump wrote on social media. Lula responded on X, saying Brazil is a sovereign country that "won't accept interference or instruction from anyone." "No one is above the law. Especially those that threaten freedom and the rule of law," Lula added. Their exchange came as Lula hosted the BRICS summit of developing nations in Rio de Janeiro, which Trump accused on Sunday of advancing "anti-American policies" and threatened with more tariffs, drawing pushback from members and partner nations. Bolsonaro said in a statement to Reuters that he was pleased with Trump's support, and again labeled the case against him "political persecution." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August Singapore Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses Singapore Singapore's second mufti Sheikh Syed Isa Semait dies at age 87 Singapore Fewer marriages in Singapore in 2024; greater marital stability for recent unions Singapore Competition watchdog gives SIA, Malaysia Airlines conditional approval to continue cooperation Singapore About 20 delivery riders meet Pritam Singh to discuss platform worker issues Business OCBC sets loan target of $5b and covers more territories in boost for serial entrepreneurs Singapore Reform Party to leave opposition group People's Alliance for Reform; two parties remain Brazil's Supreme Court agreed in March to hear the case against Bolsonaro and seven other people, including several military officers, who were charged with plotting a coup to stop leftist Lula from taking office. Last month, Bolsonaro denied that he led an attempt to overthrow the government after losing the 2022 election in his testimony before the Supreme Court, but acknowledged taking part in meetings aimed at reversing the outcome. Bolsonaro said he and senior aides discussed alternatives to accepting the electoral results, including the possibility of deploying military forces and suspending some civil liberties, but he said those proposals were soon dropped. Police spent two years investigating the election-denying movement that culminated in riots by Bolsonaro supporters in the capital in early 2023, a week after Lula took office. REUTERS

Trump says will impose 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea from Aug 1
Trump says will impose 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea from Aug 1

CNA

time2 hours ago

  • CNA

Trump says will impose 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea from Aug 1

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Monday (Jul 7) he would impose a 25 per cent tariff on goods from Japan and South Korea starting on Aug 1, posting letters to the leaders of those countries on his social media platform. In his first letters to trading partners ahead of a deadline to reach a deal, Trump penned near-identically worded letters to the leaders of Japan and South Korea. Trump said the tariffs would apply from Aug 1 because their trading relationships with Washington were "unfortunately, far from reciprocal".

BRICS nations resist 'anti-American' label after Trump tariff threat
BRICS nations resist 'anti-American' label after Trump tariff threat

Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • Straits Times

BRICS nations resist 'anti-American' label after Trump tariff threat

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Leaders of the BRICS group pose for the family photo during the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes RIO DE JANEIRO - Developing nations participating in the BRICS summit on Monday brushed away an accusation from U.S. President Donald Trump that the bloc is "anti-American," as he threatened them with additional 10% tariffs. Trump's threat on Sunday night came as the U.S. government prepared to finalize dozens of trade deals with a range of countries before his July 9 deadline for the imposition of significant "retaliatory tariffs." "Tariffs should not be used as a tool for coercion and pressuring," Mao Ning, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in Beijing. The BRICS advocates for "win-win cooperation," she added, and "does not target any country." South Africa, which was slapped with 30% tariffs that were later suspended pending trade talks, reaffirmed that it is "not anti-American," trade ministry spokesman Kaamil Alli said, adding that talks with the U.S. government "remain constructive and fruitful." A Kremlin spokesman said Russia's cooperation with the BRICS was based on a "common world view" and "will never be directed against third countries." India and Brazil, which is hosting the BRICS gathering, did not immediately provide an official response to Trump. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told reporters that he would only comment after wrapping up the summit. His opening remarks to BRICS leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro on Monday focused on the environmental and public health issues on the summit's official agenda. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August Singapore Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses Singapore Singapore's second mufti Sheikh Syed Isa Semait dies at age 87 Singapore Fewer marriages in Singapore in 2024; greater marital stability for recent unions Business OCBC sets loan target of $5b and covers more territories in boost for serial entrepreneurs Singapore Reform Party to leave opposition group People's Alliance for Reform; two parties remain Singapore Shell heist: Second mastermind gets more than 25 years' jail for siphoning $100m of fuel Asia 72-year-old man on diving trip to Pulau Tioman in Malaysia found dead on the beach A Brazilian diplomat who was not authorized to comment officially said Trump's threat underscored the importance of the BRICS group to give developing nations a way to argue for fair and effective global ground rules on topics such as trade. Many BRICS members and many of the group's partner nations are highly dependent on trade with the United States. New member Indonesia's senior economic minister, Airlangga Hartarto, who is in Brazil for the BRICS summit, is scheduled to go to the U.S. on Monday to oversee tariff talks, an official told Reuters. Malaysia, which was attending as a partner country and was slapped with 24% tariffs that were later suspended, said that it maintains independent economic policies and is not focused on ideological alignment. MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY With forums such as the G7 and G20 groups of major economies hamstrung by divisions and Trump's disruptive "America First" approach, the BRICS group has presented itself as a haven for multilateral diplomacy amid violent conflicts and trade wars. In a joint statement released on Sunday afternoon, leaders at the summit condemned the recent bombing of member nation Iran and warned that the rise in tariffs threatened global trade, continuing its veiled criticism of Trump's tariff policies. Hours later, Trump warned he would punish countries seeking to join the group. The original BRICS group gathered leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as members. Saudi Arabia has held off formally accepting an invitation to full membership, but is participating as a partner country. More than 30 nations have expressed interest in participating in the BRICS, either as full members or partners. REUTERS

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store