Four Southeast Asian nations become BRICS partners

Indonesia, Vietnam, and two other neighbors have announced plans to join BRICS, the geopolitical grouping partly led by powers challenging the U.S.-led world economic order, but officials said they didn’t expect the move to affect relationships with the West.

Russia – one of the original members of BRICS, along with Brazil, India, China and South Africa – hosted a three-day gathering this week in Kazan, where it welcomed new partners. In a post on X, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam were among 13 listed as “Official BRICS Partner Countries,” but not full members.

During a speech at the conference, Rafizi Ramli, Malaysia’s economy minister, pointed to barriers to obtaining development finances and a growing global debt as reasons for joining the intergovernmental grouping.

“For Malaysia, BRICS is not just a rejection of these constraints, but it is also a solution,” he said. “If member countries can embrace seamless economic linkages, the potential is exponential.”

Rafizi noted that Malaysia would assume the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Jan. 1, adding “we see tremendous synergies between ASEAN and BRICS.

“Whether it is ASEAN or BRICS, there is a commonality in our worldview. That as some parts of the world turn inwards, we remain steadfast and will continue to engage openly.”

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Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s prime minister, had telegraphed his intention for Kuala Lumpur to join BRICS.

In September, Anwar announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally invited officials to attend the summit in Kazan, calling it a “clear testament to the importance Russia places on Malaysia.”

While hosting Chinese Premier Li Qiang three months earlier, Anwar said BRICS could provide checks and balances globally.

Founded in 2006, BRICS holds annual summits, with one-year chairmanships rotating among member countries.

“BRICS has emerged as an economic bloc and does not necessarily mean that participating countries must align themselves politically or ideologically with major participating powers such as India, China or Russia,” Julia Roknifard, a foreign policy and security analyst at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, told RFA affiliate BenarNews in June.

Before this week’s gathering, Rafizi said he did not expect the move would affect Malaysia’s relationships with non-member nations.

“Malaysia is known as a country that practices the principle of neutrality in dealing with global issues,” he said. “Malaysia’s decision to join BRICS was not meant to reject the use of American currency, but instead it was aimed at reducing the risk of Malaysian ringgit instability.”

‘Enemies to none’

Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, who represented Thailand at the gathering, offered similar expectations, saying BRICS members have high economic potential.

“Thailand sees that if we can become a member and work with BRICS countries, Thailand’s role will become clearer and we will be able to protect our interests both as a developing country and an emerging economy,” Maris told reporters after the summit.

He noted that the decision to join should not be seen as Thailand – an old ally of the United States – taking sides with Russia, India and China over other nations.

“Thailand has a special characteristic – we are friendly with all countries and enemies to none. We can be a bridge connecting with developing countries, with BRICS members, and can also help connect BRICS with other groups.”

A new face on the international stage represented Indonesia at the summit. Foreign Minister Sugiono attended as a special envoy to President Prabowo Subianto, who took office Oct. 20 as the new leader of Southeast Asia’s largest country.

Indonesia’s priorities such as food and energy security, poverty eradication and human resource development aligned with BRICS, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“Indonesia’s decision to apply to join BRICS is a manifestation of our free and active foreign policy,” said Sugiono, who goes by one name. “It does not mean we align with any specific bloc, but rather that we actively participate in all forums.”

For Vietnam, the summit drew Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, who was invited by Putin, the state-run Vietnam News Agency reported, noting it was the first time Hanoi’s leader participated at the event.

“The PM highlighted a global, people-centered and comprehensive approach, while advocating multilateralism, international solidarity and the establishment of a world order based on rules and sharing common responsibilities to address unprecedented challenges,” the news agency said.

In September 2023, Hanoi and Washington – former warring enemies – elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

‘US remains an important partner’

An analyst said Indonesia, among new BRICS partners, could benefit from economic collaborations and investment opportunities.

“Indonesia’s economy requires further strengthening to compete with BRICS nations. Are Indonesia’s economic fundamentals sufficiently robust to allow for optimal participation in BRICS?” Bagus Ismujati, a political economist and doctoral student at Griffith University in Australia, told BenarNews.

Even with the new alignment with Russia and China, Bagus predicted that Indonesia’s existing relationship with the United States would remain strong.

“I don’t foresee a significant loss of U.S. support. The U.S. remains an important partner for Indonesia across various international forums,” he said.

Muhammad Habib Abiyan Dzakwan, an economist at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the partnership might provide Indonesia with financing options.

“President Prabowo is seeking funding sources for domestic programs, including affordable housing and free nutrition initiatives,” Muhammad Habib said, adding BRICS’ New Development Bank could help fund such programs.

Still, he warned that deeper BRICS ties could invite scrutiny from Western economies, potentially leading to boycotts or sanctions if Indonesia is perceived to be aligned too closely to Russia and China.

“BRICS alone won’t dramatically alter Indonesia’s position unless it actively engages in additional international coalitions and pursues strategic alliances,” he said.

Ili Shazwani Ihsan in Kuala Lumpur, Ruj Chuenban in Bangkok, Tria Dianti and Arie Firdaus in Jakarta contributed to this report.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.