On January 6th, Indonesia admitted It is now a full member of Brics, a multinational bloc comprising 10 major developing countries across Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa. With the addition of the world’s fourth most populous country, this fast-growing and loosely connected group now includes six of the world’s 10 countries by population.
The weaponization of the US dollar after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has injected new momentum into the bloc’s expansion. Last year, four new countries joined: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
Indonesia’s movements are new synergy Between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and BRICS. Some fear that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s passionate advocacy for BRICS membership could alienate U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. threatened to impose 100% tariffs In case the BRIC countries adopt a currency to replace the US dollar.
These commentaries largely miss the point. Indonesia’s accession to BRICS should be seen from Prabowo’s perspective enthusiastic overture Towards Trump and Jakarta’s bid will also participate Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). about him First overseas trip Prabowo’s first visit as president was to China, and then to the United States.
Instead of jumping on the bandwagon of one great power, Southeast Asian countries are embracing ambiguity in their diplomatic posture and enthusiastically supporting hedging in favor of all sides.
Hedging is an inherently complex process for regional powers. They must not only navigate relations with potentially rival powers, but also assuage neighbors’ concerns about their strategic intentions so that they are not seen as a revisionist threat to the status quo. Must be.
