On January 1, 2025, BRICS entered a new chapter in its history, welcoming nine additional partners: Belarus, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Cuba, Uganda, Malaysia, and Uzbekistan. This latest expansion underscores BRICS’ evolving mission to foster global cooperation and promote a multipolar world order. The move also dismantles the widely held myth that BRICS is inherently anti-Western, demonstrating its commitment to inclusivity and multilateralism.

The inclusion of these new partners represents a significant milestone in BRICS’ trajectory. Wang Youming, director of the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, noted that this expansion reflects a growing global movement to challenge the inequities of the current international system. With the collective rise of the Global South, BRICS is increasingly seen as a platform for advancing the interests of developing nations and reshaping a global order long dominated by Western hegemony.

This shift is happening against the backdrop of a world grappling with rising geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties. In response, BRICS has offered an alternative model of cooperation that prioritizes dialogue, inclusivity, and mutual benefit over the zero-sum games characteristic of traditional power blocs. The addition of nine countries signals the broad appeal of this approach and the demand for a fairer international system.

Despite the inclusive and cooperative nature of BRICS, certain Western media outlets and politicians have attempted to frame it as a rival to the West. Following the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Voice of America suggested that the expansion reflects “geopolitical aspirations and rivalries with the West.” This narrative is not........

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