Joining BRICS+ is not in Indonesia's interest

Indonesia's decision to join BRICS+ solely on the basis of perceived economic opportunities is very reckless. Although the initiative offers economic benefits, Indonesia already participates in strong platforms such as the G20 and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). It has tremendous economic ties with China, which is one of the members of BRICS+. These platforms effectively strengthen its international position and economic advantages without requiring alignment with a bloc opposed to Western powers.

Indonesia's rush to join BRICS+ will have no economic benefit.

A week after the inauguration of President Prabowo Subiantos, new Foreign Minister Sugiono sought to justify the Indonesians. decision to join the group as consistent with Indonesia's free and active foreign policy. According to Sugiono, Indonesia's engagement in BRICS does not reflect alignment but rather an effort to be active in each forum.

However, BRICS clearly represents a revisionist bloc opposed to the West. Russia's role within the group is tainted by its aggressor actions that disrupt world peace.

Originally founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China, the group expanded in 2010 to include South Africa. This year, with four new members in Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, BRICS has growing influence. BRICS+, as it will be called, represents It represents approximately 45 percent of the world's population and has an economic power equivalent to 28 percent of the world economy, with a strategic position as the largest oil power in the world with a percentage of 44 percent.

Indonesia has rightly expressed reservations about joining the group under the Joko Widodos administration. Indonesia has other options to maximize its international participation. In terms of value, BRICS+ does not match Indonesia's aspirations to be on the right track, as it is not in line with the country's long-standing commitment to the non-alignment principle of the Bandung Conference from 1955.

BRICS+ is seen as a rival to Western institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. In 2015 for example, Creation of BRICS the New Development Bank and the Contingency Reserve Arrangement. BRICS+ supports dedollarization efforts, which aim to reduce the dominance of the US dollar in international trade. The BRICS+ have an economic vocation and also venture into the political domain. Russian President Vladimir Putin, for example, is using BRICS+ as an attempt to break Western isolation and as a platform to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This leaves Indonesia with a dilemma: joining BRICS+ could be seen as implicit support for China's vision of a new world order, while Indonesia still needs support from the West.

China also benefits from expanded BRICS membership as a tool to realize its geopolitical ambitions against the West. This leaves Indonesia with a dilemma: joining BRICS+ could be seen as implicit support for China's vision of a new world order, while Indonesia still needs support from the West. Prabowo must remember that the ten-year US embargo on Indonesia once greatly affected the strength of the Indonesian Air Force. The United States has an important role to play against China's aggressiveness in the South China Sea, which is a strategic area for Indonesia.

Despite controversy over Indonesia's new statement regarding North Natuna, the country already has deep economic cooperation with China. China has consistently ranked over the past decade as Indonesia's largest trading partner. Since the introduction of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese investment in Indonesia has flowed rapidly to become the second largest investor in Indonesia, behind Singapore. According to the 2024 Center for Economic and Legal Studies (CELIOS) report entitled China-Indonesia Provincial IndexChinese investments in Indonesia are very diversified, ranging from academic to economic fields.

If Indonesia is to benefit economically, its existing partnerships must be front and center. RCEP, for example, covers 30 percent of global trade and 30 percent of global gross domestic product, according to Kompas reports. Indonesia should also be a pioneer in encouraging ASEAN countries to join the G20, and not follow other ASEAN countries in joining BRICS+.

Sugiono said one of the reasons Indonesia joined BRICS+ was because southern interests. The term Global South refers to countries that were victims of colonialism. However, joining BRICS+ does not immediately legitimize these interests. In fact, joining BRICS+ could inadvertently amplify Russia's aggressor position in Ukraine, while the real concerns of the Global South risk being sidelined. And as a CELIOS researcher Bhima Yudhistira also observed: the challenges between BRICS+ countries are immense, such as the territorial dispute between China and India, which makes it a fragile forum for cooperation.

And the financial mechanisms established by BRICS+, namely the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, which were designed to alleviate inequality in developing countries, have yet to demonstrate significant progress. This lack of advancement may simply reflect the underlying interests of the organization's founders.

Indonesia should therefore reconsider its decision to join BRICS+. It must defend broad interests and consider the implications rather than simply seeking to appear on the world stage.