Pulling Their Punches: BRIC Foreign Policies in the Middle East

Abstract

What impact are emerging powers having on US hegemony? This chapter analyses the foreign policies of four emerging global powers—Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC)—in the Middle East. Although their supposed cohesion as a group with common interests and objectives has been challenged, they do constitute a significant global economic and demographic group. Conditioned by their status as (1) energy producers (Brazil and Russia) or consumers (China and India) and (2) democracies (Brazil and India) or authoritarian regimes (China and Russia), BRIC policies towards the Middle East are discussed in terms of four specific issues where US involvement has been strong: the containment, invasion and occupation of Iraq; the Israel-Palestinian conflict; Iran’s nuclear program; and the Arab Uprising. Although variations exist in BRICs’ individual policies, there is a common commitment towards promoting state sovereignty and against intervention, resulting in a relatively critical attitude towards the US position. At the same time though, the BRICs have not pursued policies which directly challenge or undermine US hegemony. Explanations for this may be due to common regional objectives between the US and the BRICs (especially stable energy markets and prices), individual limitations and collective incoherence by the BRICs, and willingness to free ride on US-provided regional security. However, such security will not persist without emerging powers sharing the burden in the future.