China–Russia relations

• Just before the summit, the BRICS group announced Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, would become members as of January 1 next year.
• There were 67 countries invited to attend the summit and Reuters reported more than 40 countries, including Indonesia, had expressed interest in joining BRICS.
• As Southeast Asia’s largest economy, some experts argue Indonesia should join the BRICs grouping.

Avoiding an anti-Western interests ‘trap’

• In the Russia-Ukraine war, for example, the blocs have shown obvious opposing stances.
• For example, during the BRICS summit, BRICS leaders issued a joint statement expressing their concern about the current war, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
• Brazil has refused to join Western countries in sending arms to Ukraine or imposing sanctions on Moscow.
• This is in contrast to the G7 summit in March, which imposed heavier sanctions on Russia.

Personal interests of old members

• It appears some of the existing BRICS members stand to gain the most from increasing membership of the group.
• China, as the largest economy in BRICS, seems to be in favour of adding members to bolster its own global influence.

But BRICS remains important for Indonesia

• Although the Indonesian government has not joined BRICS, it is fully aware of the importance of BRICS as a strategic partner, especially economically.
• For developing economies such as ASEAN countries, BRICS can help bring exchanges of technology, knowledge and trade, which is mutually beneficial.
• Although BRICS is starting to focus more on a development and trade agenda, the possibility of it becoming a proxy battleground between China/Russia and the West remains.

• Within 36 hours, the challenge mounted against the Kremlin by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the mercenary private military company the Wagner Group, was over.
• The crisis was apparently averted thanks to a deal brokered by Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, and confirmed by the Kremlin.
• But this brief episode of turmoil will have lasting repercussions for Russia and for the war in Ukraine.
• The alleged trigger for Prigozhin’s mutiny was an apparent airstrike on his camp at the front in Ukraine by Russian forces.

Russia – a fragile regime exposed

• The Russian president’s speech on Saturday morning was fiercely combative, vowing to crush what he called an “armed uprising”.
• Within 12 hours, he had made a deal which, for now, will not see Prigozhin or any of his mercenaries punished.
• What’s more, Putin stood by his defence minister, Sergey Shoigu, and chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov, throughout their rivalry with Prigozhin.
• It also raises questions about how ordinary people might feel about a change in regime in which the choice is between Putin and Prigozhin.

An opportunity missed for Ukraine

• Most of Kyiv’s allies generally limited themselves to statements of concern and noted that they were monitoring events as they were unfolding.
• The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, highlighted the chaos in Russia and the humiliation that this meant for Putin.
• But they could have brought the Kremlin closer to the point of accepting the failure of its war against Ukraine.

• The agreements come on the back of productive results achieved in years of all-round cooperation.
• Meanwhile, bilateral collaboration in scientific and technological innovation, cross-border e-commerce and other emerging areas has shown strong momentum.
• Such high-level interactions, which involved drafting cooperation blueprints and timely communication on international issues, have played a strategic role in leading China-Russia relations, according to Xi.
• Putin, for his part, welcomed China's efforts to push for peace and said Russia is committed to the resumption of peace talks.

• The visit will help China and Russia extend their friendship, keep high-level exchanges and deepen strategic coordination.
• It is conducive to safeguarding the common interests of the two countries, maintaining global strategic stability and promoting the common development of the world.
• In a changing and turbulent international environment, China and Russia, as each other's largest neighboring country, should remain true to the original aspiration of cooperation, maintain strategic focus, and enhance strategic coordination to bring more benefits to the two peoples.
• To develop a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era is a long-term strategic choice made by the two sides.