A Chinese Perspective: Will China‐India Friction Paralyze the BRICS?

Abstract

A puzzle of BRICS is why countries such as India and China work together within the group despite facing consistently difficult bilateral border tensions. This contribution argues that the multilateral logic of BRICS gives its members a chance to cooperate. As emerging powers, BRICS members need to adopt a collective approach to enhance their voices in the global governance system. Existing evidence shows that China and India have managed to separate their bilateral frictions from their collective actions within BRICS. This contribution examines the stakes of China and India's BRICS engagement. Since China and India are the most promising emerging powers in global governance, their partnership will determine the BRICS' depth and the length. Since China has dealt with the pandemic better than other BRICS members, it has become stronger which might increase the disparity of power within BRICS. Following the multilateral logic it may help India to cooperate with a stronger China in the post-COVID-19 era.

Evolution of Cooperation among BRICS Countries in Global Climate Governance: From UNFCCC to the Paris Agreement

“…However, such dissimilarity is not unique to the BRICS; it is common among members of international organizations (Kiprizl, Köstem 2022), and its impact on their cooperation is not insurmountable. For instance, despite enduring bilateral border tensions, India and China continue to collaborate within the BRICS framework, striving to compartmentalize bilateral frictions from collective action within the bloc (Niu, Hong 2021). This underscores that differences between the BRICS countries are insufficient to undermine the foundation of their cooperation.…”

Science Diplomacy and COVID‐19: Future Perspectives for South–South Cooperation

“…These multilateral platforms also showed their incredible roles during the crises by facilitating effective countries. BRICS National Development Bank (NDB) has approved COVID‐19 Emergency Programme Loans of US$1 billion, respectively, to India, Brazil, and South Africa with an additional US$1 billion to Brazil and India for assisting economic recovery (Niu & Hong, 2021 ).…”

Scenarios for BRICS Evolution in Light of the India–China Conflict

“…Thus, the fact that alliance formation is becoming less of an option now is not a concern. Both Chaulia’s (2021) and Niu and Hong’s (2021) essays elaborate on the range of benefits BRICS currently provides and will continue to provide to both China and India. For China, BRICS helps dilute US influence and ideas and seeks an alternative development model for global governance.…”

“…As O’Neill (2021) argues, while Brazil, Russia and (to a lesser extent) India have had economic challenges, China alone enjoyed remarkable success during the past decade: its economy is now around 15 times bigger than it was in 2001. These developments reposition China within BRICS and, as Niu and Hong (2021) argue, raise a question of what India and other BRICS need to do to keep China interested and engaged in BRICS. As the competition between China and the United States increases, China’s strategic partnership with the BRICS countries is likely to rise on its policy agenda (see also Chaulia Vazquez in this Special Section).…”