BRICS SUMMIT 2011

BRICS Summit 2011

With Beijings efforts to focus on economic aspects, limiting political claims to the trade and financial organizations reform, the concession of a place to SA and the emergence of the Libyan issue arose some unexpected political debates (Libya) which lead this summit to produce one of the most meaning joint communiqués in the BRIC history.

First meeting with the South African presence, ratified in December 2010.

The meeting was named “Development, peace and sharing”.

Based on annual growth of trade between partners of 26%, what combined represents 16% of total world GDP and 40% of worlds population.

The South African inclusion is accounted to Chinese efforts which used this symbolical gesture to strengthen links with Africa, on which it depends for raw materials, especially taking the long term perspective.

This inclusion may have caused bad effects on South Africa itself for the alignment with Russia and China can be seen as opposite to the democratic changes being operated since 1990.

Zuma’s declaration that western critiques on China are post-colonialism were very harmfull for their democratic process.

Beijing intentions with the meeting were clearly announced also to foster bilateral conversations in between the 2 days summit.

China-Brazil: Brazil took a 400 businessman commission to foster development in this country; in the last 2 years China has displaced US as Brazil’s larger trading partner; China is also planing to extend its investments in Brazil; Chine refused to built Brazilian Embraer’s planes instead of its owns; Brazil didn’t raise the issue of Chinese forced devaluation, which is a barrier among them… maybe because in the recently held G 20 meeting chineses were imperative on defending their economic sovereignty and accusing US for being imperialistic.

Indio-China: Both countries resumed the exchange of military exchange and joint exercises, which was frozen since last july for China didn’t give the full visa for an Indian-Kashmiri general for implicitly recognizing this region as Pakistani.

Indian interest on that occasion was to safeguard the border limits it has with Pakistan regarding PoK (Azad Kashmir), what can proof to be a landmark for Chinese claims in case India ever gets Kashmir totally back and sit for border negotiations with China.

The relations between them is still very tense for the increasingly Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean and the Indian closer bonds with US, which contrast to Chinese regional project.

The Chinese interests on BRICS are more economics than political, and it work hard to avoid any political shaping of BRICS as opposing to the international order, as can be notice on the Indian and Russia action, and also on the Brazilian.

China abstain from political reforms propositions other than those regarding the trade and financial system.

The summit arose the issue of reforming IMF, enlarging the role of developing countries, a trend gaining force since last November decision of redistributing the voting power of European countries among developing ones, and also by the Chinese currently position as the 3^rd voting power of IMF.

A point which gained importance in light of the Washington IMF meeting occurring in a short close time, as well as the G 20. Press made a sort of competition between both meetings.

This issue, the political agenda and the issue of replacing the US dollar – raised in 2009 Russia summit – is leading BRICS to oppose US.

Parallel to the summit there was a trade minister’s meeting.

Following Chinese guidelines, the joint cominiqués aimed IMF reforms, control on commodities price fluctuation, and a minor and rethoric statement on environmental issues.

One important political issue was the joint denounce of the bombs in Libya, what can be viewed as an outcome of the South African inclusion since their president – Zuma – was ahead of the rejected AU project of political settlement of the issue, not accepted by the SC for not including clear measures to take Gadaffi of power.

The Indian endorsement of this joint position, as well as its abstention in the SC session on Libya may have caused some barriers on the current process of approximation with US.

However, the Indian position was based also in its personal interests, which accounts for a huge investment and raw material import from this country.

Chinese potential loss there is of 18 million and share on the oil trade

Russia is of 7 million on weapon trade and railway building

Chinese interest on forming a group position against military actions in Libya possible account for its support in the declaration favorable to a UNSC reform and the highlight of the important role to be played by India, Brazil and South Africa.

However, this didn’t clearly mention any permanent seat, neither can be accounted for a shift in the Chinese position against a permanent seat to India.