Recently, Argentina** rejected a proposal to join the BRICS cooperation organization, a decision that is seen as a manifestation of Milley's **to** tendency since he came to power. For Argentina, maintaining strong ties with the United States has become a top priority in order to consolidate its position. In stark contrast, Saudi Arabia has recently moved with a clear political choice when it officially announced its membership in the BRICS in early January. Although Saudi Arabia maintains close relations with the United States, there are serious differences with the United States over oil exports.
The United States expects Saudi Arabia to increase oil production to curb oil prices and counter Russia's economic power. However, this practice also poses a threat to the Saudis themselves, especially in competition with other oil exporters. During the election, Biden stated that he regarded Saudi Arabia as an international pariah, but it is unclear whether this takes into account the potential impact of this stance on the relationship between the two countries.
After the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the performance of the United States disappointed the Arab countries. Despite their efforts to get closer to the United States, the United States sees them only as a tool to maintain its hegemony. However, it is heartening to see that the expansion of the BRICS cooperation includes not only Saudi Arabia, but also Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Ethiopia, bringing the BRICS membership to ten.
This BRICS expansion marks its first foray into the Gulf region, providing stronger support against Western sanctions and confrontation. The addition of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran as traditional oil and gas producers will strengthen the BRICS countries in terms of energy security.
At the same time, the participation of Egypt and Ethiopia as energy transit countries will also promote the development of energy logistics and infrastructure construction in BRICS countries.
Although Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran have something in common on oil issues, Saudi Arabia's position as the world's largest exporter and second largest oil producer is particularly important. Its accession to the BRICS will have the opportunity to reshape energy geopolitics and reap huge economic benefits. As a key country that constitutes the hegemony of the petrodollar, Saudi Arabia's position among the BRICS countries has attracted much attention.
From the perspective of oil and gas production, the BRICS cooperation mechanism will cover 44% of the world's production, further enhancing the global influence of the BRICS countries. The expansion of the BRICS countries, driven by oil, will promote closer cooperation among the BRICS countries and help balance energy security and the challenges of the energy transition.
In addition, the BRICS countries have abundant ** materials, such as China's huge industrial capacity, and the RMB settlement system CIPS is expected to bypass the SWIFT of the West. The BRICS countries also have high-end**, such as J-20 fighter jets and Type 055 large destroyers, further consolidating their comprehensive strength.
Overall, both the expansion of the BRICS and the choice of Argentina are normal results of the current global geopolitical landscape. While U.S. efforts to control the Middle East are on wane, the BRICS has become an ideal platform for countries to work together to address global risks.