LAST WEEK, THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (PRC), WANG YI, VISITED INDIA AND MET THERE WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF THIS COUNTRY, NARENDRA MODI.
SINCE DECADES, THE TWO COUNTRIES WERE IN BORDER DISPUTES WHICH EVEN LEAD TO DESTHS, EVEN AS BOTH COUNTRIES ARE MEMBERS OF THE BRICS ORGANISATION. THESE TIMES SEEM TO BE OVER, AS BOTH MODI AND WANG YI FORMULATED SEVERAL AGREEMENTS, AND PRIME MINISTER MODI TNTENDS TO ATTEND THE SUMMIT OF THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION, A EURASIAN POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ORGANISATION, WHICH TAKES PLACE FROM THE 31ST OF AUGUST TO THE 1ST OF SEPTEMBER 2025. THERE, HE WILL PROBABLY MEET PRESIDENT XI JINPING OF THE PRC WHO WILL CHAIR THE 25TH MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF HEADS OF STATE OF THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION.
MANY COMMENTATORS DOUBT THAT THE BRICS ORGANISATION WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. ONE REASON FOR THIS DOUBT WAS THE ONGOING CONFLICT BETWEEN INDIA AND CHINA. WELL, THE TWO COUNTRIES SEEM TO BE ON THE BEST WAY TO LEAVE THESE CONFLICTS BEHIND. THERE ARE TWO MAIN REASONS FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT:
- THE TARIFFS IMPOSED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.A. ON THE WORLD;
- THE RECOGNITION THAT THE BRICS ORGANISATION IS THE BASE FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.
AD 1: THE BEST SOLUTION TO MINIMISETHE EFFECTS OF THE TRUMP-IMPOSED TARIFFS IS TO SEEK THE COOPERATION WITH OTHER COUNTRIES. AND AS CHINA IS AN ECONOMICALLY STRONG AND RELIABLE PARTNER, IT IS NOT A MIRACLE THAT MANY COUNTRIES SEEK THE COOPERATION WITH CHINA. FORTUNATELY, THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA HAS REALISED THAT AND SOUGHT FOR THE GHANA-CHINA BUSINESS SUMMIT, AFTER ITS PREDECESSOR JOINED THE BELT-AND-ROAD INITIATIVE OF CHINA IN 2018. THIS AGREEMENT BASED ON A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MoU) WAS PART OF EIGHT AGREEMENTS BETWEEN GHANA AND CHINA UNDER THE FORMER GHANAIAN GOVERNMENT.
AD: THE BRICS ORGANISATION FORMS THE FOUNDATION OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION WHICH HAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRIES OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH IN FOCUS. IT IS NOT A KIND OF “COOPERATION” THAT IS ACTING UNDER THE MOTTO; IF YOU DON’T WANT TO WORK WITH US THE WAY WE WANT IT, YOU WILL BE PUNISHED, WHICH IS THE WAY THE U.S.A. GOVERNMENT OPERATES, ESPECIALLY UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. THE BRICS ORGANISATION OFFERS MANY ADVANTAGES ECONOMICALLY, FINANCIALLY, AND POLITICALLY. THEREFORE, IT IS ONLY UNDERSTANDABLE THAT INDIA AND CHINA MANIFEST THEIR WISH TO CONSOLIDATE THEIR POSITIONS ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE BRICS ORGANISATION.
SOME AFRICAN COUNTRIES – SOUTH AFRICA, EGYPT, AND ETHIOPIA – ARE ALREADY MEMBERS OF BRICS, AND NIGERIA JOINED THE LAST BRICS SUMMIT IN RIO DE JANEIRO THIS YEAR AS A PARTNER COUNTRY. SENEGAL IS CURRENTLY IN NEGOTIATIONS TO JOIN BRICS.
IT IS TIME FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA TO ALSO TAKE THE NEXT STEP TO START NEGOTIATIONS TO JOIN BRICS – FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COUNTRY.
