Vietnam joins BRICS as 10th partner nation

Vietnam's inclusion as a BRICS partner country will enhance the bloc's international influence and lead to closer cooperation among Global South countries, experts said.

Joining BRICS as the 10th partner country underlined Vietnam's commitment to multilateralism and showed that, rather than choosing sides or forming alliances, the country believes cooperation is the best path forward in a contested, fractured world, said Vu Lam, a political scientist and adjunct lecturer at the University of New South Wales Canberra in Australia.

"Vietnam is signaling that it does not want to be caught in great power rivalry. Instead, it is showing a preference to continue working through multilateral frameworks, where developing countries like itself can have a stronger voice," Lam told China Daily.

The Southeast Asian country has been formally admitted as a partner country of BRICS, according to an announcement made on Friday by Brazil, the chair of the bloc of major emerging economies in 2025.

With Vietnam standing out as a relevant actor in Asia, the country shares with the BRICS members and partners a commitment to a more inclusive and representative international order, the Brazilian government said in a statement.

"Its efforts in favor of South-South cooperation and sustainable development reinforce its convergence with the interests of the group," the statement said.

Established in 2009, BRICS initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India and China. It was expanded to include South Africa in 2010 and now has 11 members, after the inclusion of six new members in 2024 and 2025.

Amid the expansion push, several countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have joined BRICS. Indonesia became a full member in January, while Thailand and Malaysia were granted partner country status.

Being part of BRICS means Vietnam is now recognized as a part of a core group that shapes discussions on global governance and economic cooperation in the Global South, Lam said, adding that it also aligns with Vietnam's foreign policy built around multilateralism and diversification.

The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said Vietnam has become a BRICS partner country with a desire to contribute to enhancing the voice and role of developing countries, while promoting international solidarity and inclusive multilateralism based on respect for international law, according to the country's national English-language daily Viet Nam News.

Multipolar leadership

Vietnam's inclusion could further elevate ASEAN's visibility within BRICS, indicating a shift toward more inclusive multipolar leadership in the Global South, said Anna Malindog-Uy, a PhD candidate in economics at the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development at Peking University.

"It is also a subtle but strong message to the West: the Global South is organizing itself on its own terms," said Malindog-Uy, who is also the vice-president for external affairs and director of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, a Manila-based think tank.

Malindog-Uy told China Daily that Vietnam's inclusion as a BRICS partner increases the likelihood that more ASEAN countries will seek closer ties with the bloc.

BRICS membership or partnership could also provide access to new markets, investment opportunities and technological advancements, she said.

The presence of multiple ASEAN countries in BRICS signals a regional shift toward exploring non-Western platforms, while the uncertainties of US policies may further push ASEAN states toward BRICS as a counterbalance to potential US economic or political pressure, said Eka Khorbaladze, a predoctoral fellow at the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at the University of Hong Kong.

However, Khorbaladze told China Daily the dynamics are complex and depend on a mix of economic, geopolitical, and regional factors.

"Vietnam's expertise in global supply chains, particularly in electronics and manufacturing, complements BRICS' objectives of promoting trade diversification and resilience against external economic pressures," she said.