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BRICS | Gipfeltreffen 2017 in Xiamen
Image: Wu Hong/AP Images/picture allianceImage: Wu Hong/AP Images/picture alliance

BRICS

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa were first grouped together as rapidly growing major economies. Now they offer a political forum outside the West. The BRICS summit is currently being held in Johannesburg.

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All Content on this topic

Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund IMF Kristalina Georgieva R, back attends a press conference in Washington, D.C

Is Africa better off without the IMF?

For decades, African countries have looked to the International Monetary Fund for economic aid. Are there alternatives?
PoliticsNovember 1, 202403:28 min
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (l) shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (r) at Hyderabad House in New Delhi

'Alles gut!': New Delhi, Berlin eager to bolster ties

Amid geopolitical tensions at Europe's and Asia's doorsteps, India and Germany are both eager to deepen bilateral ties.
PoliticsOctober 26, 2024
DW AfricaLink

Can BRICS help Africa change the global order?

Explore how BRICS is reshaping global governance for the Global South. With South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia as members, other African nations are keen to join. Can BRICS elevate Africa's global standing? Josey Mahachi discusses with political analyst Dr. Ndimancho Michael, international relations expert Fidel Amakye Owusu, and DW’s Thuso Khumalo.
PoliticsOctober 25, 202425:39 min
World leaders at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia

Putin ends BRICS summit overshadowed by Ukraine war

Meanwhile, the UN chief faced criticisms for traveling to Russia for the BRICS meeting amid Moscow's war in Ukraine.
PoliticsOctober 25, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

BRICS expansion: What's Africa's role in the global order?

Some analysts say BRICS offers Africa a role in changing the global order, which also presents some risks.
PoliticsOctober 24, 2024
Brics-Gipfel im russischen Kasan

BRICS leaders discuss dollar alternative

The leaders of some emerging economies are meeting to discuss how to reduce dependence on the US dollar.
BusinessOctober 24, 202401:56 min
Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping stand in line, seen in profile

What's next for China and India as Modi, Xi start over?

Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping in Russia triggered a diplomatic thaw after years of icy relations between India and China.
ConflictsOctober 24, 2024
Modi and Xi Jinping, seen here shaking hands, agreed to boost cooperation to improve ties

India's Modi, China's Xi seek to boost ties at BRICS summit

Modi and Xi held a meeting at a summit, days after agreeing to running joint patrols along their disputed border.
PoliticsOctober 23, 2024
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, standing in front of a Turkish flag, shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia

Turkey's BRICS ambitions: Is Erdogan gambling with the West?

This year's BRICS summit is also attended by Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose government would like to join BRICS.
PoliticsOctober 23, 202403:27 min
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during their meeting

Russia's Putin hosts leaders of India, China at BRICS summit

The Kremlin has invited world leaders, including Putin's "dear friend" Xi Jinping, to show that Russia is not isolated.
PoliticsOctober 22, 2024
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, United States, on September 24, 2024

Brazil's Lula cancels trip to BRICS following accident

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been told to avoid long-haul flights after an accident at home.
PoliticsOctober 20, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 2016 BRICS Summit

Can India navigate a China-dominated BRICS?

A notable commonality among BRICS members is their economic ties with China. So, where does this leave India?
PoliticsOctober 8, 2024
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan wave from the top of steps to a white airplane with a Turkish flag painted on it

Will Turkey's bid to join BRICS speed up EU accession?

Is Turkey's application to BRICS group a sign Ankara is moving away from the EU?
PoliticsSeptember 15, 2024
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed speaks at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

Could Egypt and Ethiopia's tensions escalate into a war?

New deals threaten to turn the GERD dam dispute into a regional crisis. Could Turkish mediation prevent escalation?
PoliticsSeptember 14, 2024
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Dedollarization: How the West boosts China's yuan

Sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war have spurred record trade in China's currency, but could it usurp the dollar?
TradeSeptember 12, 2024
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry Dmytro Kuleba poses with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi before a meeting in Guangzhou on July 24, 2024

War in Ukraine: Can China use its clout to play peacemaker?

Ukraine has said it recognizes the importance of including Beijing in efforts to negotiate peace with Moscow.
PoliticsJuly 24, 2024
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Concern over Belarus-China military drills, near NATO border

Belarus recently joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and this week is hosting military drills with China.
ConflictsJuly 13, 2024
BRICS logo is seen during the 15th summit of the bloc's leaders in Johannesburg

Why are Southeast Asian countries looking to join BRICS?

Malaysia and Thailand are the latest nations in Southeast Asia to express interest in joining the expanded BRICS group.
PoliticsJuly 4, 2024
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (center) gathers with other BRICS leaders

How South Africa is working to become a new global player

South Africa isn't just the strongest industrial nation on the continent, it's also making a diplomatic name for itself.
PoliticsMay 26, 2024
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What's behind China's gold-buying spree?

For more than a year, China has been buying large amounts of the precious metal, helping the price to an all-time high.
BusinessApril 5, 2024
A street in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, on a rainy day, with a modern skyscraper in the background

Ethiopia becomes BRICS member amid economic crisis

Beset by financial woes and tensions with Somalia, Ethiopia's first days as a new BRICS member were anything but easy.
BusinessJanuary 16, 2024
Javier Milei waving from a balcony

Argentina: Is Javier Milei moving closer to the West?

Yes to free trade and the dollar, a "perhaps" to Mercosur, no to BRICS. Does Milei want a new rapprochement with the US?
PoliticsJanuary 6, 2024
Argentinien | Präsident Javier Milei

Argentina formally rejects BRICS membership

New president Javier Milei has followed through on an election promise to reverse the country's decision to join BRICS.
PoliticsDecember 29, 2023
Vladimir Putin addresses the BRICS summit in August 2023

Will BRICS expansion set a new agenda for the Global South?

The five-nation bloc is expanding, and so is its influence. Can the alliance challenge Western political dominance?
PoliticsDecember 29, 2023
Supporters of Niger's National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) demonstrate in Niamey

Africa 2023: Challenges for democracy, security, economy

In 2023, the continent saw many pivotal moments — everything from war to elections to more cross-border unity.
PoliticsDecember 29, 202304:28 min
A BRICS logo at this year's summit in Johannesburg in August

How India views Pakistan's bid to join BRICS

To gain entry into the club, Pakistan is focusing on winning the support of China and Russia.
PoliticsDecember 5, 2023
Brazil's president Lula holding German chancellor Olaf Scholz's arm

Germany-Brazil ties: Lula pushes Global South agenda

As Scholz welcomes the Brazilian president, Lula's importance as a mouthpiece for the Global South keeps growing.
PoliticsDecember 3, 2023
Xi Jinping speaks at a table next to a Chinese flag

Decoding China: Beijing, BRICS seek Middle East influence

China seeks to use BRICS as a vehicle towards greater political influence around the world.
PoliticsNovember 24, 2023
In this photo provided by the state-run TASS news agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks via video link during a special BRICS meeting on the conflict in the Middle East

BRICS calls for 'sustained' truce in Israel-Hamas war

South Africa, Russia, China, Brazil, India in the BRICS bloc have agreed a common response to the Middle East conflict.
ConflictsNovember 21, 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves as he arrives at Bharat Mandapam convention center for the G20 Summit in New Delhi

Will India become an economic superpower?

By 2030, India will be the world's third-largest economy. Could this be the beginning of the Indian century?
BusinessOctober 19, 202323:43 min
UN Secretary General Guterres speaks at a podium, next to a sign for the SDG Summit 2023

UN Sustainable Development Goals: Losing the race

Growing tensions between the Global South and Western economic powerhouses overshadowed the UN SDG summit in New York.
PoliticsSeptember 20, 2023
Xi in Johannesburg at the BRICS summit

Speculation grows over Xi Jinping's G20 absence

China's head of state has attended every G20 summit in the last decade, but he's missing from this one in India. Why?
PoliticsSeptember 8, 2023
People walk past a model of the G20 logo ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India on September 5, 2023

G20 Summit to test India's increasing global clout

Hot on the heels of talks by emerging market BRICS nations, India is hosting the G20 summit this weekend in Delhi.
PoliticsSeptember 8, 2023
The G20 summit logo

Why the G20 matters

The G20, a forum of the world's major economies, is meeting in New Delhi at a time of unprecedented challenges.
PoliticsSeptember 7, 202309:23 min
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, centre right speaks to China's President Xi Jinping as President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula, left, and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi look on, at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg,

China's Xi Jinping likely to skip G20 summit in India

Bilateral relations with New Delhi have grown frosty, while Beijing also faces pressure over Russia's war in Ukraine.
PoliticsSeptember 4, 2023
Südafrika Johannesburg | BRICS-Gipfel | Pressekonferenz

BRICS expansion plans: US, Germany remain relaxed

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa want to add six countries to their group. The West is playing it cool.
PoliticsAugust 27, 2023
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, centre right speaks to China's President Xi Jinping as President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula, left, and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi look on, at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa

India's Modi and China's Xi held 'candid' border talks

Narendra Modi brought up disputed frontier with Xi Jinping for the first time on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.
PoliticsAugust 25, 2023
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lock hands during the 15th BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

BRICS expansion sparks joy in Africa

The BRICS expansion plans have caused a lot of excitement, but can the bloc manage tensions amongst its members?
PoliticsAugust 25, 2023

Can the BRICS Bank replace the IMF as a lender?

Could the NDB, backed by BRICS members, replace financial institutions, such as the IMF, in lending funds?
SocietyAugust 24, 202301:26 min
Staff worker stands behinds national flags of Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa and India

What does BRICS want?

BRICS has evolved from a mere slogan to a real-world economic bloc and is seeking to increase its influence.
PoliticsAugust 24, 202309:36 min
Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi in 2017

BRICS: Can China and India overcome differences at summit?

China is leading calls for expansion of the grouping's influence, but a rift remains between Beijing and New Delhi.
PoliticsAugust 24, 2023
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, China's President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pose for a picture at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg

BRICS group invites 6 new members to join next year

BRICS leaders said they have invited Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates.
PoliticsAugust 24, 2023
A sign reading 'WELCOME' in various colors in Johannesburg

BRICS: Why Saudi Arabia and others are vying for membership

Some see the bloc as a counterweight to traditional Western-led forums and institutions. But what exactly is BRICS?
BusinessAugust 23, 2023
Economist Jim O'Neill, who coined the acronym BRIC in 2001

BRICS expansion a 'powerful global symbolism'

DW spoke to economist Jim O'Neill, who coined the acronym BRIC, to find out what he makes of a possible BRICS expansion.
BusinessAugust 23, 202309:10 min
A woman walks past the BRICS logo

BRICS group begins 3 days of talks in Johannesburg

The bloc is keen to expand, and to establish itself as a counterweight to Western-led groupings like the G7.
PoliticsAugust 22, 202301:42 min
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BusinessAugust 22, 202312:31 min

Ukraine hopes for influence at BRICS conference

Since Russia's war in Ukraine began, Kyiv has been hoping to sway BRICS countries to lean away from Moscow.
PoliticsAugust 22, 202306:26 min
A man waves an Ethiopian flag

Will Ethiopia's bid to join BRICS push Western allies away?

Ethiopia recently applied to join BRICS, but can it sit as an equal partner with a country like China?
PoliticsAugust 22, 202302:54 min
Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin shake hands

Russian oil for Indian solidarity

Trade between India and Russia is reaching new heights. What's special about the relationship between the two countries?
PoliticsAugust 22, 2023
Two people walk past the Sandton Convention Center, which is hosting the BRICS Summit

BRICS club boom: What to expect in Johannesburg

Global South versus Global North? The BRICS summit in South Africa will be all about expansion and sanctions.
PoliticsAugust 22, 2023