«BRICS Plus» is an expansion of the geopolitical bloc that originally included Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and is seen by its members as a counterweight to American and Western economic dominance. Yesterday, China, Russia, and Iran began a week of joint naval exercises in the waters of South Africa, which the host country described as a «BRICS Plus» operation aimed at «ensuring the safety of shipping and maritime economic activities». South Africa routinely conducts naval exercises with China and Russia, but these maneuvers come at a time of escalating tensions between the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and several «BRICS Plus» countries, such as China, Iran, South Africa, and Brazil. «BRICS Plus» includes six other countries.
