HIGHLIGHTS

  • read the article paying attention to the words in bold
  • summarize the main ideas
  • comment on the ideas expressed by the author
  • compose 3 questions for discussion

FOCUS WORDS

underestimate недооценивать
cultivate развивать, улучшать, совершенствовать
diversity разнообразие, многообразие, различие
appeal привлекательность, притягательность
encroachmentвторжение
unravelрушиться, разваливаться
spearheadбыть инициатором, возглавлять, продвигать
formidableогромный, внушительный, значительный
cloutвлияние, вес, сила
revampпеределывать, реформировать, перекроить, поправлять

PREPOSITIONS

  1. shift  to
  2. account for
  3. yearn for
  4. at odds with
  5.  on the global stage
  6. struggle with
  7. in response to 
  8. engage in
  9. compared to
  10.  a catalyst for 

THE BRICS EFFECT

Oct 18, 2024 Brahma Chellaney

The BRICS have so far struggled to become a united, effective global force with defined and realistic political and economic objectives. Nonetheless, one should not underestimate their potential to catalyze the shift to a multipolar global order.

NEW DELHI – A new age of international relations is dawning. With the West accounting for a declining share of global GDP, and the world becoming increasingly multipolar, countries are jostling to establish their positions in the emerging order. This includes both the emerging economies – represented by the recently expanded BRICS grouping – that seek a leading role in writing the rules of the new order, and the smaller countries attempting to cultivate relationships that can safeguard their interests. 

With the BRICS, what began as an asset class has become a symbol of the yearning for a more broadly representative global order, a hedge against Western-led institutions, and a means of navigating growing geopolitical uncertainty. All this has proved highly attractive. Earlier this year, the BRICS expanded from five countries (Brazil, China, India, Russia, and South Africa) to nine (adding Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates). And almost three dozen more countries – including NATO member Turkey, close US partners Thailand and Mexico, and Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country – have applied to join. While the diversity of the grouping’s members (and applicants) highlights the broad appeal of the BRICS+, it also creates challenges. These are countries with very different political systems, economies, and national goals. Some are even at odds with each other: China and India have been locked in a military standoff in the Himalayas for over four years, following China’s stealth encroachments on Indian territory. Translating shared interests into a common plan of action, and becoming a unified force on the global stage, was difficult even when the BRICS had just five members. With nine – and possibly more – member countries, establishing a common identity and agenda will require sustained effort. But other multilateral groupings that are not formal, charter-based institutions with permanent secretariats – such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the G20, and even the G7 – also struggle with internal divisions. 

Moreover, the BRICS have demonstrated considerable resilience. Western analysts have been predicting from the start that the grouping would unravel or drift into irrelevance. Yet this month’s BRICS+ summit in Kazan, Russia – the first since the expansion – may well bring movement toward further enlargement, as it underscores the West’s failure to isolate Russia. This is not to underestimate the challenge of cohesion. The grouping’s founding members do not even agree about its fundamental objectives: whereas China and Russia want to spearhead a direct challenge to the United States-led world order, Brazil and India seek reforms of existing international institutions and appear uneasy about any anti-Western orientation. 

In this disagreement, however, the enlargement might tip the scales. Six of the group’s nine members, including all four of the new additions, are formally part of the nonaligned movement, and two (Brazil and China) are observers. This suggests that there will be considerable internal pressure for the BRICS+ to chart a middle ground, focusing on democratizing the global order, rather than challenging the West. That said, when it comes to fostering mutual trust with developing countries, the West has not been doing itself any favors lately. On the contrary, its weaponization of finance and seizure of the interest earned on frozen Russian central-bank assets have caused deepening disquiet in the non-Western world. As a result, a growing number of countries seem interested in exploring alternative arrangements, including new cross-border payment mechanisms, with some also reassessing their reliance on the US dollar in international transactions and reserve holdings. All of this could aid the larger designs of Russia and China, two natural competitors that have become close strategic partners partly in response to US policy. China, in particular, stands to gain, such as from increased international use of the renminbi. Russia now generates much of its international export earnings in renminbi and stores them mostly in Chinese banks, thereby effectively giving China a share of the returns. China’s ultimate goal – which Western financial warfare is inadvertently aiding – is to establish an alternative renminbi-based financial system. The BRICS are already engaged in institution-building, having established the New Development Bank – conceived by India and headquartered in Shanghai – in 2015. The NDB is not only the world’s first multilateral development bank created and led by emerging economies; it is also the only one whose founding members remain equal shareholders with equal voice, even as more countries join. By contrast, the US is the dominant shareholder and holds veto power in the World Bank. The expanded BRICS+ boast formidable global clout. The grouping dwarfs the G7, both demographically (with nearly 46% of the world’s population, compared to the G7’s 8.8%) and economically (accounting for 35% of global GDP, compared to the G7’s 30%). Its economies are also likely to be the most important source of future global growth. Furthermore, with Iran and the UAE having joined their oil-producing counterparts Brazil and Russia as members, the BRICS+ now account for about 40% of crude-oil production and exports. Yes, the group faces significant challenges, not least uniting to become a meaningful global force with defined (and realistic) political and economic objectives. But they also have the potential to serve as a catalyst for a long-overdue revamping of global governance so that it better reflects twenty-first-century realities. 

DISCUSSION AND APPLICATION QUESTIONS

  1. What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of the recent expansion of BRICS from five to nine members? How might this affect the group’s ability to act as a unified force on the global stage?
  2. Given the diverse political systems and national goals of BRICS members, what strategies could be employed to foster cohesion and a common agenda within the group?
  3. What are the potential consequences of countries reassessing their reliance on the US dollar for international transactions? What role does the New Development Bank play in the broader context of BRICS’ goals?

LANGUAGE REVIEW

FLASHCARDS
SYNONYMS

MATCH THE WORD WITH ITS DEFINITION

underestimate strong influence; political power
cultivate to lead or initiate 
diversity attractiveness that interests or stimulates
appeal to promote or take action to advance the growth or development; foster
encroachmentto separate or (cause to) be disentangled, taken apart or destroyed
unravelof great strength; forceful; powerful
spearheadto make changes in the structure; renovate, redo, or revise
formidableheterogeneity; variety; the state or quality of being different or varied
cloutto estimate at too low a value, rate, etc
revampany entry into an area not previously occupied

MATCH THE WORD WITH ITS SYNONYMS

underestimate attractiveness
cultivate originate, create, initiate, begin, lead
diversity underrate, undervalue
appeal impressive, strong, mighty, powerful, tremendous
encroachmentvariety, variation, difference, divergence
unravelfall/ come apart, collapse, fail, come undone
spearheadsway, weight, authority, power, leverage, influence
formidableencourage, develop, promote, foster, nurture, stimulate
cloutrenovate, overhaul, redo, upgrade
revampinfringement, invasion, trespass, intrusion

MATCH THE WORD WITH ITS COLLOCATIONS

underestimate broad/ little/ lose/ hold 
cultivate business/ with technology/ department
diversity begin/ continue/ threaten
appeal to encourage/ ethnic/ cultural/ of opinion
encroachmentwield/ carry/ hold/ political
unravelareas of cooperation/ an approach/ relationships
spearheadcosts/ amount/ power/ risk/ peril
formidablenaval forces/ opponents/ challenge/ foe 
cloutupon sovereignty/ on territorial waters/ on government land
revamprevolution/ campaign/ program/ fight

COMPLETE THE SENTENCES BY FILLING IN  FOCUS WORDS






diversity
formidable 
encroachment 
appeals 
unravel
revamping 
clout 
underestimated 
cultivated 
spearheading 
 
1. Politicians cultivate and pursue the emotional ………… to audiences and potential constituents.
2. A global tax agreement that was struck in 2021 continues to flounder, raising the prospect that it could …………. .
3. Sweden was long seen as ………… Europe’s fight against climate change.
4. BMW has cast itself as a pioneer in new technologies and an aggressive defender of its turf against …………  by technology companies like Google and Apple.
5. Many reporters have ………… a hybrid approach, supplementing occasional visits with remote reporting via the internet and encrypted communications to stay in touch with sources.
6. Millions of Indian workers join trade unions — often backed by leftist parties — who use their political ………… to enforce labour laws and negotiate better conditions.
7. As China continues to assert its economic might, it is using the global social media ecosystem to expand its already ………… influence.
8. Forecasters have repeatedly …………  the strength of the post-pandemic labor market.
9. Companies from Amazon to Meta are ………… their data centers to support artificial intelligence.
10. Lufthansa is dedicated to being an ambassador of goodwill, tolerance, ………… , and acceptance,» the company said in a statement, adding that it had cooperated with the investigation and remained focused on training for its staff.

MATCH THE COLLOCATIONS FROM THE TEXT

1. safeguard a) divisions
2. sustainedb) objectives
3. internalc) the scales
4.  demonstrated) movement
5.  the challenge ofe) mutual trust
6. fundamentalf) the interests
7. tipg) the reliance
8. nonaligned h) cohesion
9. fosteri) effort
10. reassessj) considerable resilience

COMPOSE MEANINGFUL SENTENCES BASED ON FOCUS WORDS AND COLLOCATIONS FROM THE TEXT

E.g. _____________ formidable competitors _____________

Google and Facebook have proved to be formidable competitors in the digital advertising market.

  1. _________ tended to underestimate _________
  2. _________ efforts to cultivate relationships _________
  3. _________ experience encroachment on its independence  _________
  4. _________ have almost completely unravelled _________
  5. _________ spearheaded a charity campaign _________
  6. _________ a formidable power _________
  7. _________ enhance its geopolitical clout _________
  8. _________ revamp the global world order _________
  9. _________ would have broader appeal _________
  10. _________ highlight the emphasis on diversity _________

PREPOSITIONS

  1. shift  ___
  2. account ___
  3. yearn ___
  4. ___ odds ___
  5.  ___  the global stage
  6. struggle ___
  7. in response ___ 
  8. engage  ___
  9. compared  ___
  10.  a catalyst ___ 

GRAMMAR MIX

  1. So far, more than 80 associations from around the world ________ together to send a unified message to the APEC trade ministers: Re-engage and quickly conclude the ITA.
  1. came
  2. have come 
  3. are coming
  4. will come 

2. Poland and Hungary, along with the Czech Republic, ________ to accept migrant quotas hastily imposed by the EU in 2015 as well over a million people, mostly Syrians fleeing conflict, entered Europe.

  1. have refused 
  2. were refused 
  3. refused
  4. had refused 

3. For Morocco, important nondiscriminatory concessions ________ as part of its free trade agreement with the United States; once effective, the provisions in that agreement ________ the sector significantly.

  1. were included; will open
  2. are included; would open
  3. included; would have opened
  4. have been included; will open

4. Performance in the region ________ by a narrow economic base, low productivity, and lack of integration in the world economy, as reflected in its modest nonoil trade share.

  1. hampered
  2. hampers
  3. is hampered 
  4. will be hampered 

5. Recruiting agents are not permitted to engage in recruiting activities unless a license ________ for this purpose from the Ministry.

  1. is obtained 
  2. will be obtained 
  3. would be obtained 
  4. is being obtained 

6. Transregional institutions such as the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have a more diffuse membership which does not necessarily coincide with regional organizations and ________ include member states from more than two regions.

  1. may
  2. should
  3. ought to
  4. has to

7. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have actively sought investments in Iraq, and that effort has gathered pace this year, with Riyadh ________ funds to support investments in infrastructure, mining, agriculture, real estate development and financial services.

  1. will allocate
  2. allocated
  3. allocating 
  4. has allocated 

8. The Scottish government has repeatedly denied suggestions that it interfered in the award of the contracts ________ would have been a breach of EU procurement laws.

  1. which
  2. that
  3. when
  4. , which

9. Most of the countries have a narrow trade base, ________ , and—outside of petroleum—very low merchandise trade within the region.

  1. although
  2. so
  3. however
  4. hence

10  Jobs for the least competitive and most vulnerable segments of the population will disappear; ________, the EAEU member states need to consider the possibility of implementing special measures to support adaptation of such categories of citizens to the potential difficulties that they may experience along with the development of the digital economy.

  1. therefore
  2. however
  3. whereas 
  4. since

  1. So far, more than 80 associations from around the world ________ together to send a unified message to the APEC trade ministers: Re-engage and quickly conclude the ITA.
  1. came
  2. have come 
  3. are coming
  4. will come 

2. Poland and Hungary, along with the Czech Republic, ________ to accept migrant quotas hastily imposed by the EU in 2015 as well over a million people, mostly Syrians fleeing conflict, entered Europe.

  1. have refused 
  2. were refused 
  3. refused
  4. had refused 

3. For Morocco, important nondiscriminatory concessions ________ as part of its free trade agreement with the United States; once effective, the provisions in that agreement ________ the sector significantly.

  1. were included; will open
  2. are included; would open
  3. included; would have opened
  4. have been included; will open

4. Performance in the region ________ by a narrow economic base, low productivity, and lack of integration in the world economy, as reflected in its modest nonoil trade share.

  1. hampered
  2. hampers
  3. is hampered 
  4. will be hampered 

5. Recruiting agents are not permitted to engage in recruiting activities unless a license ________ for this purpose from the Ministry.

  1. is obtained 
  2. will be obtained 
  3. would be obtained 
  4. is being obtained 

6. Transregional institutions such as the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have a more diffuse membership which does not necessarily coincide with regional organizations and ________ include member states from more than two regions.

  1. may
  2. should
  3. ought to
  4. has to

7. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have actively sought investments in Iraq, and that effort has gathered pace this year, with Riyadh ________ funds to support investments in infrastructure, mining, agriculture, real estate development and financial services.

  1. will allocate
  2. allocated
  3. allocating 
  4. has allocated 

8. The Scottish government has repeatedly denied suggestions that it interfered in the award of the contracts ________ would have been a breach of EU procurement laws.

  1. which
  2. that
  3. when
  4. , which

9. Most of the countries have a narrow trade base, ________ , and—outside of petroleum—very low merchandise trade within the region.

  1. although
  2. so
  3. however
  4. hence

10  Jobs for the least competitive and most vulnerable segments of the population will disappear; ________, the EAEU member states need to consider the possibility of implementing special measures to support adaptation of such categories of citizens to the potential difficulties that they may experience along with the development of the digital economy.

  1. therefore
  2. however
  3. whereas 
  4. since

VOCABULARY NOTES
underestimate 
недооценивать
definition
to estimate at too low a value, rate, etc
synonyms
underrate, undervalue
collocations 
costs/ amount/ power/ risk/ peril
cultivate 
развивать,
улучшать,
совершенствовать
definition       
to promote or take action to advance the growth or development; foster
synonyms
encourage, develop, promote, foster, nurture, stimulate
collocations
areas of cooperation/ an approach/ relationships
diversity 
разнообразие,
многообразие,
различие
definition
heterogeneity; variety; the state or quality of being different or varied
synonyms
variety, variation, difference, divergence
collocations
to encourage/ ethnic/ cultural/ of opinion
appeal 
привлекательность, притягательность
definition
attractiveness that interests or stimulates
synonyms
attractiveness
collocations            
broad/ little/ lose/ hold
encroachment
вторжение
definition
any entry into an area not previously occupied
synonyms
infringement, invasion, trespass, intrusion
collocations            
upon sovereignty/ on territorial waters/ on government land
unravel
рушиться,
разваливаться
definition
to separate or (cause to) be disentangled, taken apart or destroyed
synonyms 
fall/ come apart, collapse, fail, come undone
collocations           
begin/ continue/ threaten
spearhead
быть инициатором,
возглавлять,
продвигать
definitionto
lead or initiate 
synonyms
originate, create, initiate, begin, lead
collocations           
revolution/ campaign/ program/ fight
formidable
огромный,
внушительный,
значительный
definition
of great strength; forceful; powerful
synonyms
impressive, strong, mighty, powerful, tremendous
collocations            
naval forces/ opponents/ challenge/ foe 
clout
влияние,
вес,
сила
definition
strong influence; political power
synonyms
sway, weight, authority, power, leverage, influence
collocations            
wield/ carry/ hold/ political
revamp
переделывать,
реформировать,
перекроить,
поправлять
definition
to make changes in the structure; renovate, redo, or revise
synonyms
renovate, overhaul, redo, upgrade
collocations            
business/ with technology/ department