China expands BRICS for one’s own benefit – mass media

Almaty. July 20. Silkroadnews – China expands BRICS in its own interests, Russian “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” reports.
“China stands for extension of cooperation within the BRICS format. The BRICS+ association could include several dozen countries and consist of “China’s friends”. The Celestial Empire, though, is not in a hurry to voice the list of “friends””, publication says.
China, as noted, believes the countries should create a more extensive platform for South-South cooperation, as well as “contribute to form a new environment for joint development of countries with emerging markets and developing countries”.
More details on the BRICS possible expansion could be expected in September during the meeting of the leaders of the association member states.
According to Mohan Malik, professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Beijing can invite such countries as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Mexico to join the union, while the organization itself “after the expansion will lose its direction and coherence in development issues and turn to be rather a political platform for China”.
Yaroslav Lissovolik, chief economist of the Eurasian Development Bank, believes the BRICS could consist of up to 35 countries.
“For example, following the Russian Federation, the countries that belong to the Eurasian Economic Union (Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan) can join the BRICS union as well. Brazil could be followed by members of the MERCOSUR trade and economic union – Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Venezuela. South Africa can be followed by countries that belong to the Southern African Development Community: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland. The Asian countries can also be widely represented. In total, 35 countries could join this “circle of BRICS’ friends”, the expert noted.
In addition, there are suggestions of joining the BRICS countries by such countries as Mexico, Nigeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Botswana, Afghanistan, Bhutan and others.