Why a Divided BRICS Poses No Challenge to America

When the leaders of BRICS, the bloc of emerging economies, gather in New Delhi on Saturday for their 18th summit, they will have plenty to talk about. The group began with Brazil, Russia, India and China, then added South Africa in 2010. It has since expanded to include 11 countries. The leaders and diplomats of BRICS member states are meeting in New Delhi to consider how their combined political and economic muscle might be used to build an alternative to the American-led global order. In some ways, President Donald Trump’s refusal to allow America play its traditional postwar leadership role has created new opportunities for the bloc. Yet its ambitions remain constrained by an inconvenient fact: India, China, Russia and Brazil do not align particularly well.Here are the dynamics to watch this weekend. India, the host, wants the summit to accomplish as much as possible without antagonizing the United States. India continues to value the stability of its relationship with Washington, particularly as a counterbalance to China’s expanding influence in Asia and beyond. India, along with Brazil, has also resisted Russian and Chinese calls for a common BRICS currency and new lending to ...