Will BRICS overtake the West? Five emerging countries are holding a key meeting in South Africa. It comes at a time when the West’s leadership looks shaky.
The meeting that could change the world
Will BRICS overtake the West? Five emerging countries are holding a key meeting in South Africa. It comes at a time when the West's leadership looks shaky.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">What's happening? </h2>
World leaders are flying into South Africa. They are in the country for a meeting, held this week, about money and global power.
But Joe BidenThe president of the USA, elected in 2020., Rishi SunakA British politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2022 to 2024. and Emmanuel MacronThe current president of France, nicknamed "Jupiter" after the chief of the Roman deities for his top-down manner of governance. are not there. This is a meeting of BRICS - or Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
BRICS is not a formal group. They are a group of five countries that experts in the 2000s picked out as nations that were growing fast. Soon, they would be a big part of the world economyThe way that money flows through a country, which affects wages and the cost of living..
<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Find out more</h2>
They are a newer group than the G7A group made up of six of the world's major industrialised nations/advanced economies (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK) plus the EU. All of its current members are democracies. , which include some of the richest countries in the world. They have had a lot of power for many decades.
Today, BRICS leaders are not the only ones meeting in South Africa. Leaders from countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East are all there. They hope their countries might be invited to join. Some think they could take over from the G7 as one of the most powerful groups in world economics.
But others point out that BRICS countries have faced lots of problems recently. This could stop them from becoming very powerful.
<h5 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Will BRICS overtake the West?</h5>
Yes! The West is not as powerful as it once was. China and India in particular are becoming very powerful. Other countries will look to them, not the USA or Europe, for leadership.
No! BRICS countries are nowhere near overtaking the power of the West. One of its key leaders, Vladimir Putin, can barely even leave his own country.
Joe Biden - The president of the USA, elected in 2020.
Rishi Sunak - A British politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2022 to 2024.
Emmanuel Macron - The current president of France, nicknamed "Jupiter" after the chief of the Roman deities for his top-down manner of governance.
Economy - The way that money flows through a country, which affects wages and the cost of living.
G7 - A group made up of six of the world's major industrialised nations/advanced economies (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK) plus the EU. All of its current members are democracies.
The meeting that could change the world

Glossary
Joe Biden - The president of the USA, elected in 2020.
Rishi Sunak - A British politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2022 to 2024.
Emmanuel Macron - The current president of France, nicknamed "Jupiter" after the chief of the Roman deities for his top-down manner of governance.
Economy - The way that money flows through a country, which affects wages and the cost of living.
G7 - A group made up of six of the world’s major industrialised nations/advanced economies (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK) plus the EU. All of its current members are democracies.