As the title states, Chinese, Russian, Iranian, and South African ships have amassed around the southern tip of Africa to engage in naval exercises meant to deepen cooperation between BRICS members, though some other key states like Brazil, India, and the UAE were notably not present. The naval drills were originally planned to take place several months ago, but were delayed due to G20 preceedings, leading to their current state which has raised tensions with the U.S., especially given the recent intervention in Venezuela. Internally and externally, South Africa has been scrutinized for hosting the militaries of heavily sanctioned countries, but this has nonetheless failed to stop them from allowing Russian, Iranian, and Chinese warships into their ports.
If America allows for other circles like BRICS to form without checking their power or adequately offering diplomatic alternatives to nations like South Africa, then strategically we may find ourselves in a worse space than we are now. While none of the states in BRICS are individually capable of challenging U.S. naval supremacy, together they would pose a much more viable threat. South Africa’s decision to continue on with hosting indicates that some non-aligned countries feel safer and better off cozying with American “enemies”.
The BRICS states present are likely to increase their cooperation following the conclusion of these naval exercises, though it’s important to note that BRICS itself is only an economic partnership. The U.S. will, for fairly evident reasons, be disappointed by these developments as it indicates American shortcomings in keeping nations away from the Chinese and Russian spheres of influence. If the drills are successful, then we may see a stronger alliance system between BRICS nations which could develop into defensive guarantees, but the natural tension of nations in BRICS, many of whom consider each other threats to their own national security, would need to be overcome before any meaningful arrangements can be made.
Geopolitical regional concerns again come up with these naval drills. It’s clear that South Africa intends upon becoming a regional power in the southern half of Africa, and they are well positioned with a good technological base to be capable of deciding policy for the sub-sub-saharan. China has already been nation building in Africa, so the relationship building with South Africa is only natural and comes as an attempt to pull away potential American allies into the eastern influence. What China, Russia, and Iran can not gain in their own respective regions, they will search for in others.
