South Africa walks a tightrope of international alliances – it needs Russia, China and the west

THAPELO TSELAPEDI

RELATIONS between the People’s Republic of China and Russia on one hand and the west, specifically the US, on the other have become increasingly tense in recent times. For the US, China and Russia represent authoritarian regimes. For China, the US is the source of global insecurity.

With a few exceptions like France and the UK, the west sees the presence of Russia and China in the BRICS bloc (which also includes Brazil, India and South Africa) as contaminating the entire bloc as well as their relations with the individual BRICS member countries. This is especially so for the US.

This view reflects the weakening global power of the US, especially its inability to isolate Russia in Europe and to contain the influence of China in Asia and the developing world.

The growing tensions pose a political and economic challenge for South Africa. This is especially so for US-South Africa relations. Part of my doctoral thesis focused on BRICS and