THE Philippines should be cautious about joining the Brics bloc as it has long been seen as a staunch ally of the United States, a Singaporean academic and former diplomat said on Tuesday.
“[T]he United States doesn’t want any of its allies to join Brics,” said Kishore Mahbubani, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Research Institute who formerly served as Singapore’s ambassador to the United Nations, among others, told the Philippine Business Conference.
Brics is an intergovernmental organization composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that this year invited other emerging economies to join. In August, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said that applying for membership was being considered by the Finance department.
“[The Philippines] may have to wait a while,” Mahbubani said, adding that “the answer doesn’t just lie in joining organizations like that.”
Mahbubani noted that other partnerships, especially within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, were already benefiting the country.
“Asean is enough to give the Philippines the boost that it needs,” he said. “But on Brics, I think you have to be a bit more careful…”
With regard to the United States, he said that the stakes were high in terms of global trade and geopolitical relationships, with a second presidency by Donald Trump likely to usher in a period of heightened protectionism, with increased tariffs for both allies and countries seen as unfriendly.
Trump’s intention to prioritize American interests, he added, could potentially lead to destructive outcomes for global trade.
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