The BRICS are falling apart.

The promising economic group — originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — has increased both its membership and its internal rivalries. And the leaders of Russia and China, the group’s two superpowers, are not expected to attend this weekend’s Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

China’s authoritarian government is going through a rough patch, and I’m not talking about the Chinese real estate crisis, its lack of purchasing power, its high youth unemployment, low population growth or the economic slowdown that makes its recent 10 percent annual growth feel like a distant memory.

No, the new crisis is linked to a strange earthquake prompted by President Xi Jinping, who often disappears for several weeks at a time and announces the renewal of an anti-corruption fight to purge “undisciplined” military personnel or eliminate potential political adversaries.

© The Hill