Expansion and economic cooperation top the agenda at this year’s BRICS Summit.

The 15th BRICS Summit is well underway in Johannesburg, South Africa. The five-member group: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is discussing expansion of the bloc with dozens of other countries hoping to join the group, a move China supports.

Chinese President Xi says he’s confident the three-day summit will be an “important milestone.” And added some countries “have arbitrarily blocked and suppressed emerging market countries.”

In Pretoria, Xi was awarded the “Order of South Africa” from President Cyril Ramaphosa during his state visit on Tuesday. At the close of the business forum, China’s Minister of Commerce read a statement from President Xi.

Joining the discussion: 

• Charles Liu is a Senior Fellow at the Taihe Institute and Co-founder of the HAO Capital.
• Sourabh Gupta is a Senior Asia-Pacific International Relations Policy Specialist at the Institute for China-America Studies. 
• Legend Asuelime is an Associate at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Brics—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—is considering an expansion, with more than 40 countries looking to join. The WSJ analyzes the membership frenzy and whether an enlargement can ultimately challenge the powerful G-7. https://t.co/oRZjyX52UT

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 22, 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping was welcomed in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, ahead of the BRICS summit https://t.co/QsVCYJyutT pic.twitter.com/VnVSlVzOGa

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 22, 2023