Brazil derives tangible benefits from BRICS membership—above all, prestige, geopolitical influence, greater proximity to China, and an “insurance” against diplomatic isolation.
These four main benefits explain why Brazil has enthusiastically embraced the group since its inception in 2006.
First, in the view of Brazilian policymakers, membership came with considerable prestige. Joining the bloc implicitly equated Brazil with the large powers China, India, and Russia, which was an especially important gain for a country that often worries that its decisions to limit defense spending and to be a “good international citizen” (for example, by signing the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) might diminish its leverage on the global stage. Brazil’s association with BRICS might also have helped consolidate the country’s image as an “emerging power,” even though its growth has been below the global average for over a decade.
Second, Brazil believes that as a member, it can influence the adaption of global institutions in response to the shift from U.S.-led unipolarity to multipolarity—for example, by advocating the reform of existing institutions but also supporting the creation of new ones, such…
