Latest news with #MauroVieira
IOL News
08-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Cracks in BRICS Wall of Solidarity Threatens Global South Progress
Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira (L) and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the second day of the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 29, 2025. While China and Russia are the trailblazers in the campaign to break away from Western monetary systems, other member states, especially India and the UAE, are far more hesitant about this move, says the writer. Kim Heller Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, renowned for its festivals and extravaganzas, hosted a meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers on 28-29 April 2025. There was an ambience of celebration as a new BRICS member, Indonesia, and nine partner countries, including Cuba, Nigeria, Thailand, and Uganda, were welcomed. The might of BRICS has risen greatly over recent years with the inclusion of influential nations such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. With an estimated 35% of global GDP, BRICS is a rising force. At the Rio de Janeiro meeting, there was a flurry of harmonious talk on the need for unity in the face of global political and economic flux. There was buoyant lobbying for better representation of BRICS in the global governance orb, particularly in the United Nations. There was recognition of the need to address issues of conflict resolution, food security, energy, new supply chains, and payment mechanisms to cull dependence on Western nations and boost sovereignty. But unity of purpose was clouded by regional and continental divisions. The mood soured as discord fast became the main spectacle of the meeting. While there was a broad denunciation of punitive US tariffs and how this would weaken multilateralism, there was no joint agreement on a uniform BRICS approach to new trade protocols or de-dollarisation. Although BRICS has developed a more vociferous voice, as it has expanded, this latest meeting shows how it has become more tongue-tied as it tries to represent a bigger reservoir of member and partner countries. While the Chairperson's statement, issued by the Foreign Relations Minister of Brazil, Mauro Vieira, spoke out sharply against "unjustified unilateral protectionist measures" and "further fragmentation of the world economy", it did not adequately reflect the strong sentiments expressed by some nations against the dire threat of the US's new tariff regime. Rather than being a signature of concurrence, the statement issued by the BRICS Chairperson after the meeting was a spin of compromise. The failure to agree on a joint statement is a serious indictment. It signals paralysis, not power. The additional economic muscle of BRICS is weighing heavily on it, as organisational fusion degenerates into friction. The expanded BRICS is no homogeneous bloc, especially as it incorporates nations with divergent economic, political, and geographic pressures, goals, and allegiances. Some are the darlings of the West, while others reel under punishing sanctions. China's strong rally call for trade diversification and de-dollarisation was not widely supported by many member countries, including India, Brazil, and South Africa. Trump's hand of friendship to India may have placed this country at odds with fellow BRICS partners, especially China and Russia. While China and Russia are the trailblazers in the campaign to break away from Western monetary systems, other member states, especially India and the UAE, are far more hesitant about this move. At a time when BRICS should be uniting fully against the US's disruptive and disabling tariff regime, rivalries, regional interests, and political egos appear to be trumping common purpose. Opposition to South Africa's bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat from Egypt and Ethiopia reeks of regional competitiveness and political ambitions. This downsizes the importance of African representation on the high-level Security Council. Africa needs to develop a united strategy for world representation rather than a competitive and divisive one. BRICS is increasingly asserting itself as an architect of a new world order. But unless it heals its internal cracks, it will be more power keg than a bastion of power. BRICS's capacity and dexterity to achieve a more significant economic imprint on the world stage and boost its share of voice and influence will be severely imperilled by internal rife. BRICS has the potential to reset and recalibrate the coordinates for global reconfiguration and herald in a whole new world. But unity needs to be rock solid, and a healthy balance of bilateral, regional, and continental interests must be achieved. If member states flex their muscle at the expense of collective power, BRICS will fail to win the bigger battle for meaningful global influence. The hegemony of the West cannot be broken by a divided BRICS. BRICS needs to box smart. The shifts in the geopolitics of the world have been tremendous since BRICS was formed. There is potency in diversity, but divisions and contention between members or overdominance by powerhouses such as China must be kept in February 2025, Donald Trump declared that the BRICS nations "have broken up" and that "BRICS is now dead'. In response, Brazil's President Lula da Silva boldly stated that BRICS is committed to ending "US dollar dominance no matter what". But with ruptures showing, it appears as if BRICS is disempowering itself. Unity is King. If BRICS cannot unite, Trump will be victorious, and the West will continue its reign of domination. The expanded BRICS bloc could collapse on the crack of disunity, placing its enormous promise of being an economic kingmaker at risk. This would be a devastating outcome for developing nations. The approaching BRICS summit in July in Rio de Janeiro will be decisive. It must be a festival of unity and resolution for BRICS. Bold decision-making on de-dollarisation, greater representation in the United Nations, and the activation of advantageous trade protocols and systems must trump insular rifts. If BRICS fails to drive itself forward, on the fuel of unity and purpose, the opportunity for a more equitable global order will crumble. This would be a sorry betrayal of the Global South by BRICS. All under the watch of Donald Trump and his Western allies, who will celebrate a horrific BRICS fracture. * Kim Heller is a political analyst and author of No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
IOL News
08-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Cracks in BRICS Wall of Solidarity Threatens Global South Progress
Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira (L) and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the second day of the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 29, 2025. While China and Russia are the trailblazers in the campaign to break away from Western monetary systems, other member states, especially India and the UAE, are far more hesitant about this move, says the writer. Kim Heller Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, renowned for its festivals and extravaganzas, hosted a meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers on 28-29 April 2025. There was an ambience of celebration as a new BRICS member, Indonesia, and nine partner countries, including Cuba, Nigeria, Thailand, and Uganda, were welcomed. The might of BRICS has risen greatly over recent years with the inclusion of influential nations such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. With an estimated 35% of global GDP, BRICS is a rising force. At the Rio de Janeiro meeting, there was a flurry of harmonious talk on the need for unity in the face of global political and economic flux. There was buoyant lobbying for better representation of BRICS in the global governance orb, particularly in the United Nations. There was recognition of the need to address issues of conflict resolution, food security, energy, new supply chains, and payment mechanisms to cull dependence on Western nations and boost sovereignty. But unity of purpose was clouded by regional and continental divisions. The mood soured as discord fast became the main spectacle of the meeting. While there was a broad denunciation of punitive US tariffs and how this would weaken multilateralism, there was no joint agreement on a uniform BRICS approach to new trade protocols or de-dollarisation. Although BRICS has developed a more vociferous voice, as it has expanded, this latest meeting shows how it has become more tongue-tied as it tries to represent a bigger reservoir of member and partner countries. While the Chairperson's statement, issued by the Foreign Relations Minister of Brazil, Mauro Vieira, spoke out sharply against "unjustified unilateral protectionist measures" and "further fragmentation of the world economy", it did not adequately reflect the strong sentiments expressed by some nations against the dire threat of the US's new tariff regime. Rather than being a signature of concurrence, the statement issued by the BRICS Chairperson after the meeting was a spin of compromise. The failure to agree on a joint statement is a serious indictment. It signals paralysis, not power. The additional economic muscle of BRICS is weighing heavily on it, as organisational fusion degenerates into friction. The expanded BRICS is no homogeneous bloc, especially as it incorporates nations with divergent economic, political, and geographic pressures, goals, and allegiances. Some are the darlings of the West, while others reel under punishing sanctions. China's strong rally call for trade diversification and de-dollarisation was not widely supported by many member countries, including India, Brazil, and South Africa. Trump's hand of friendship to India may have placed this country at odds with fellow BRICS partners, especially China and Russia. While China and Russia are the trailblazers in the campaign to break away from Western monetary systems, other member states, especially India and the UAE, are far more hesitant about this move. At a time when BRICS should be uniting fully against the US's disruptive and disabling tariff regime, rivalries, regional interests, and political egos appear to be trumping common purpose. Opposition to South Africa's bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat from Egypt and Ethiopia reeks of regional competitiveness and political ambitions. This downsizes the importance of African representation on the high-level Security Council. Africa needs to develop a united strategy for world representation rather than a competitive and divisive one. BRICS is increasingly asserting itself as an architect of a new world order. But unless it heals its internal cracks, it will be more power keg than a bastion of power. BRICS's capacity and dexterity to achieve a more significant economic imprint on the world stage and boost its share of voice and influence will be severely imperilled by internal rife. BRICS has the potential to reset and recalibrate the coordinates for global reconfiguration and herald in a whole new world. But unity needs to be rock solid, and a healthy balance of bilateral, regional, and continental interests must be achieved. If member states flex their muscle at the expense of collective power, BRICS will fail to win the bigger battle for meaningful global influence. The hegemony of the West cannot be broken by a divided BRICS. BRICS needs to box smart. The shifts in the geopolitics of the world have been tremendous since BRICS was formed. There is potency in diversity, but divisions and contention between members or overdominance by powerhouses such as China must be kept in February 2025, Donald Trump declared that the BRICS nations "have broken up" and that "BRICS is now dead'. In response, Brazil's President Lula da Silva boldly stated that BRICS is committed to ending "US dollar dominance no matter what". But with ruptures showing, it appears as if BRICS is disempowering itself. Unity is King. If BRICS cannot unite, Trump will be victorious, and the West will continue its reign of domination. The expanded BRICS bloc could collapse on the crack of disunity, placing its enormous promise of being an economic kingmaker at risk. This would be a devastating outcome for developing nations. The approaching BRICS summit in July in Rio de Janeiro will be decisive. It must be a festival of unity and resolution for BRICS. Bold decision-making on de-dollarisation, greater representation in the United Nations, and the activation of advantageous trade protocols and systems must trump insular rifts. If BRICS fails to drive itself forward, on the fuel of unity and purpose, the opportunity for a more equitable global order will crumble. This would be a sorry betrayal of the Global South by BRICS. All under the watch of Donald Trump and his Western allies, who will celebrate a horrific BRICS fracture. * Kim Heller is a political analyst and author of No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
South China Morning Post
30-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
How Trump's tariff chaos is bringing China's ‘trade circle of friends' closer
There has been growing debate about whether US President Donald Trump 's tariff strategy will drive a wedge between China and other Global South nations. Analysts say the opposite is happening. Advertisement One example is China, facing duties of up to 245 per cent, and Brazil , where Trump's global baseline 10 per cent tariff has been imposed. The two nations have stepped up high-level engagement since the tariff chaos started. On Tuesday, China's top diplomat Wang Yi called for Brasilia and Beijing to oppose 'the law of the jungle' together and said relations were at their 'best period in history' during separate meetings in Rio de Janeiro with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and chief presidential adviser Celso Amorim. Those meetings – on the sidelines of a Brics gathering – were held ahead of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's planned trip to China in May, and after Chinese officials travelled to Brazil for Brics agriculture talks and infrastructure projects in mid-April. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) and his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira arrive for a Brics meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday. Photo: AP Analysts say the American president's trade war is likely to help strengthen ties between China and Brazil – the largest developing economies in the eastern and western hemispheres, respectively. It could also drive further cooperation and give fresh impetus to joint efforts for greater clout in the global governance system.
News24
30-04-2025
- Business
- News24
BRICS rift hinges on push to make SA permanent member of UN Security Council
For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page. Shortly after welcoming new members to the club, the BRICS bloc of nations is suffering from the same problem dogging other global multilateral institutions: Its members can't agree on key issues. Foreign ministers from the world's major emerging economies refused to sign a consensus statement at the end of a two-day meeting in Rio de Janeiro, after new members opposed parts of a previously approved plan to reform the United Nations Security Council. Egypt and Ethiopia — two newer additions to the bloc named for original founders Brazil, Russia, India, China and later South Africa — balked at the group's backing of South Africa for a permanent seat on the body, according to a statement released by Brazil on Tuesday. At 2023 talks in Johannesburg, BRICS members agreed to back Brazil, India and South Africa for seats on the council, part of their efforts to make the UN more democratic and representative of the so-called Global South. The group is working to overcome the differences and could still reach consensus at its leaders summit in July, Brazil Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said at a press conference after the statement was released. But the initial disagreement bodes poorly for the group's ambition to expand its influence on the global stage, filling the void left by traditional multilateral institutions that have long suffered from lack of consensus and paralysis. Even before expansion, BRICS nations had often struggled to agree on the ultimate aims of the group that formed nearly two decades ago. The need for changes to the Security Council and other major institutions, however, has traditionally united members that have all pushed for more space for developing nations in a global order dominated by Washington and the West. Donald Trump's upending of that order since his January return to the White House had created a potential opening for BRICS, which now accounts for about half of the planet's population and roughly 40% of global GDP. The US president has pulled back from the world stage since taking office, moving to withdraw his nation from the World Health Organization and Paris Agreement while gutting its chief foreign aid agency and unleashing a trade war that has disrupted the global economy. At their first meeting since Trump took office, the ministers did generate agreement on language opposing protectionist trade measures, one of the major focuses of the gathering. They 'voiced serious concerns about the rise of unjustified unilateral protectionist measures,' including 'indiscriminate raising of reciprocal tariffs and non-tariff measures,' according to Brazil's statement. But they avoided mentioning Trump or the US by name, despite China's indications ahead of the talks that it wanted to leverage the group to push back against Washington. The group 'called upon all sides to take measures to defend free trade and multilateral trading system, with a view to addressing current trade challenges and fostering a favorable trade and investment environment for all,' the statement from Brazil said. The bloc also forged agreement on language defending multilateral approaches to everything from ongoing wars to climate change.
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Business Standard
30-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Brics group shows internal rifts as ministers fall short of joint statement
Foreign ministers from the Brics group of developing nations failed to agree on a joint communique on Tuesday, highlighting differences within the fast-growing diplomatic bloc, while the chair Brazil issued a statement condemning trade protectionism. In the statement, Brazil said the group's foreign ministers expressed "serious concern at the prospect of a fragmented global economy and the weakening of multilateralism" at their gathering in Rio de Janeiro. The statement did not name the United States, which has taken a sharp protectionist shift under President Donald Trump, whose unilateral tariffs have raised concerns about a global economic slowdown. The failure to reach a joint declaration was unexpected, a diplomatic source said, adding that there was room to iron out differences before July, when Brics leaders will gather in Rio. The expanded Brics group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as well as new joiners Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran, faces daunting challenges from U.S. trade actions. "The ministers voiced serious concerns about the rise of unjustified unilateral protectionist measures inconsistent with WTO rules, including indiscriminate raising of reciprocal tariffs and non-tariff measures," the statement said. The statement reflected a broad consensus among the 11 countries, although a person involved in the negotiations said China - affected by 145 per cent levies in the trade war with the U.S. - had pushed for a harsher tone. "There was a consensus among all the countries, which is expressed in the declaration," said Brazilian Foreign Relations Minister Mauro Vieira. Still, the final declaration was a "chair statement," falling short of a joint statement as the countries could not reach an agreement on all issues. Egypt and Ethiopia refused to accept some of the language calling for reform of the United Nations, including its Security Council, a longstanding aspiration of Brazil, India and South Africa. That difference underscores the group's new composition after new members that have competing views on some issues joined in 2024. The diplomatic source told Reuters that the new African members took issue with putting forward South Africa as a preferred Brics candidate for a reformed Security Council. "The expansion has its costs. Of course we have to work more to reach a consensus. But, at the same time, an expanded group has more power, more resources, more space for cooperation," said the source. Brazilian diplomats stressed the importance of a strong shared position on the central issue of "unjustified" trade barriers condemned in the declaration, which cited tariffs and non-tariff measures, such as the abuse of green policies for protectionist purposes. "The main thing for Brics is to ensure that the multilateral trade system doesn't fall apart completely", a diplomat told Reuters.
