ASEAN Goes BRICS: Understanding the Attraction of BRICS for ASEAN Countries

In a report published by Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Asia, Pongphisoot Busbarat, Kuik Cheng-Chwee, Radityo Dharmaputra, Krisna Gupta, and Nguyen Ngoc Manh analyze the motives behind the partnership of key Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam with BRICS. The findings carry implications for Western partners seeking to remain attractive to ASEAN states amid rising geopolitical pressures.

BRICS has evolved from a loose acronym of large emerging economies to a more visible platform for economic and political cooperation. By many in the West, it is perceived as a Sino-Russian-led project to reshape international norms and institutions. The expansion of BRICS to ten member countries and ten partner countries has added urgency to the question of what drives countries and their leaders to seek association with the grouping.

When Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam opened their economies in the late 1980s, foreign direct investment from and trade with liberal democracies like the US, Europe, Australia, Japan and South Korea were instrumental. Tens of millions were lifted out of poverty, developing countries turned into modern middle-income states with vibrant economies. Today, their ties with the West are still strong and friendly. At the same time, these four ASEAN states have all turned to BRICS. Malaysia and Thailand were granted partnership status at the Kazan Summit in 2024. Indonesia joined as a full member in January 2025. Vietnam received partner status in June 2025.

This paper explores why these four ASEAN member states are attracted to BRICS and what their engagement might imply for their Western partners. Experts from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam have each written a chapter. They see geoeconomic diversification, status/voice-seeking in global governance or domestic political legitimation as drivers of interest in BRICS.