BRICS Summit Attracts Global Interest Not Seen in Years

A trade war between Beijing and Washington and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have reinvigorated the debate over whether the bloc will remain a loose trade alliance or become a new international coalition. Dozens of countries have expressed interest in joining, including Argentina, Nigeria, Iran, Belarus, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. The candidates are as diverse as the BRICS bloc, which represents 40 percent of the world’s population and a quarter of its economy.

China, the biggest economy in the group, favors expansion to shore up its own influence, while an isolated Russia needs new allies as it digs in for a protracted war in Ukraine. India and Brazil, with strong alliances among industrialized nations, favor a more cautious approach. South Africa, the smallest economy of the group, is pushing to have more African members and has invited more than 30 African leaders to join this year’s meeting.

These divergent views are likely to play out over the summit’s other key question, so-called de-dollarization. The BRICS countries are expected to discuss how to decrease their reliance on the U.S. dollar as the currency of global trade while also balancing existing trade relationships. But the slow growth of the bloc’s development bank, established in 2015 as a counter to the World Bank, is a sign that consensus will not come easily.

The diplomatic challenges South Africa has faced over the summit reflects the geopolitical interests BRICS nations must balance — particularly the smaller countries that have to navigate their allegiances to more wealthy and powerful nations.

Mr. Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court, which accuses him of being responsible for the abduction of Ukrainian children and their deportation to Russia. He had planned on attending in person, but spared South Africa the dilemma of whether to arrest him by deciding to appear virtually. Even so, South Africa has continued to face pressure from its Western allies over its close ties with the Kremlin.