简军波：“BRICS and China's International Strategy”，Diplomatist，August 2014.
来源链接：http://diplomatist.com/articles/article018.html
This July, thesixth BRICS Summit in Brazil’s Fortaleza was attended by Chinese President XiJinping along with leaders of other BRICS countries. President Xi also metPrime Minister Narendra Modi, indicating that both Beijing and New Delhi havethe will to develop a more constructive and consolidated relationship. Beijinghopes this new window of opportunity would help resolve serious issues like theborder dispute and enhance bilateral relations. Additionally, Xi’s visit toseveral Latin American countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Cubawas extremely successful. The entire visit clearly highlights the importance ofBRICS for China’s strategy. The development and progress of BRICS in fields offinance, trade, technology, and culture has given China the opportunity topromote its influence and assume greater responsibility in the ever changinginternational arena.
A Revolutionary Development
BRICS cooperation in areas of finance adds much needed impetus to thecontemporary world economic system, which is seriously hampered by the globalfinancial crisis. Further, the two pillars of the world’s economic system –World Trade Organisation and the International Monetary Fund have ceased to beas effective as before. As an export-oriented economy, China’s economicdevelopment relies completely on international markets, especially thedeveloped world. With traditional markets in the West reeling under recession,China has expanded its search for external markets that could support itspolitical and economic stability and the full development of its domesticmarket. The BRICS grouping boasts the biggest powers in their respectiveregions – China in East Asia, India in South Asia, Brazil in South America,Russia in Central Asia, and South Africa in Africa – and thus represents apromising market comprising emerging powers, with greater promise as comparedto developed countries. Mutually complementary and inter-dependent economicstructures, developmental levels and markets provide the foundation foreconomic consolidation and rapid growth. For a country that focusses oneconomic growth, Beijing is keen to encourage development of a fledgling marketwithin BRICS, which, considering the economic scale and potential, will benefitall members, including China.
Despite being the second largest economy in the world and a major contributorto West-dominated international organisations like IMF and World Bank, China’sfull participation in these two organisations is excluded. The establishment ofthe New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingency Reserve Arrangement (CRA),which was welcomed by the president of World Bank and some other non-BRICScountries, is expected to supplement the US-dominated international financialsystem, set up after the end of World War II. China, together with other BRICScountries, can gradually alter the dominance of Western powers in theinternational financial system, which will be a significant step for globaleconomic development and stability. This evolutionary rather than revolutionarydevelopment towards Western-dominated institutions would create pressure onthem to introduce reforms.
Cooperation among the BRICS to alter the global economic architecture alsoextends to other fields like climate change and infrastructure development,resulting in the rise of the group as a major player in global governance andinternational politics. This will lead to international democratisation andmulti-polarity, two of Beijing’s core strategic objectives. BRICS is anextremely important platform for China to promote the peaceful transformationof the global order. The establishment of this new international institutioncan balance multilateral arrangements controlled by the ‘old world’ and makethe world more equal, without damaging relationships with the Western world.
Towards Cooperation and Peaceful Development
As a founding member of BRICS which facilitates South-South cooperation andunification, China can gain the confidence of the developing world and thendevelop mutually-advantageous partnerships with them, which, in turn, willpromote their economic growth and national development. As a leader of theNon-Alignment Movement and Group 77 comprising developing countries, India hasalways championed the cause of South-South cooperation. China welcomes therevival of South-South cooperation supported by BRICS.
The ‘strategic pivot’ of the United States to Asia and the challenge fromneighbouring countries like Japan has placed twin, strategic pressures onChina. The friendship and respect earned by Beijing in BRICS permits theresolution of this strategic pressure created by the US and its allies withoutdirect confrontation with the US. This peaceful approach enables China torealise its great dream of peaceful development.
