Internal splits threaten to slow BRICS progress as bloc looks back on 20 years of growth

Source: South China Morning Post | Original Published At: 2026-09-12 02:00:05 UTC

Key Points

• Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among leaders meeting in India for a closely watched BRICS gathering.
• BRICS began as informal talks among Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006 and was officially established in 2009.
• South Africa joined in 2010, followed in 2024 by Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining a year later.
• Analysts say BRICS has expanded its influence and positioned itself as a champion of the Global South.
• The article identifies major internal splits, including disagreements over how to handle the United States, as challenges to BRICS progress.
• One observer described a bottleneck impeding the bloc's development.