O que é este blog?

Este blog trata basicamente de ideias, se possível inteligentes, para pessoas inteligentes. Ele também se ocupa de ideias aplicadas à política, em especial à política econômica. Ele constitui uma tentativa de manter um pensamento crítico e independente sobre livros, sobre questões culturais em geral, focando numa discussão bem informada sobre temas de relações internacionais e de política externa do Brasil. Para meus livros e ensaios ver o website: www.pralmeida.org. Para a maior parte de meus textos, ver minha página na plataforma Academia.edu, link: https://itamaraty.academia.edu/PauloRobertodeAlmeida.

Mostrando postagens com marcador BBC News. Mostrar todas as postagens
Mostrando postagens com marcador BBC News. Mostrar todas as postagens

quinta-feira, 18 de julho de 2024

A ingenuidade de Lula com respeito ao Brics, à China e à Rússia - Robert Plummer, BBC News

Is Brazil's Brics-building worth it?

By Robert Plummer, BBC News, 14/07/2024

It's been more than a year-and-a-half since Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva returned to the country's presidency, back from the political dead after his conviction on corruption charges was dramatically annulled.

In that time, President Lula's comeback has given renewed force to one of the world's most unlikely economic alliances - the Brics, a grouping that unites Brazil with Russia, India, China and South Africa.

In his previous time as president from 2003 to 2010, Lula was instrumental in efforts to weld the Brics into a geopolitical entity, and an emerging counterweight to the West.

Now the bloc has momentum on its side once again. It's come to be known as Brics Plus, after the original members agreed at a watershed summit in Johannesburg in August last year to admit a handful of new joiners, including Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Not bad for a grouping that was originally willed into being by sheer high-concept financial whimsy, the brainchild of economist Jim O'Neill, who saw it more as an investment opportunity than a new gang of nations.

"When the Brics were invented, it was pretty much an asset class," says Monica de Bolle, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington.

"But it caught on in Brazil, because it directly spoke to Lula's aspirations in foreign policy."

At the Johannesburg meeting, Lula was particularly bullish about the group's long-term economic prospects.

“We have already surpassed the G7 and account for 32% of global GDP in purchasing power parity," he said. 

"Projections indicate that emerging and developing markets will be those that will show the highest growth rate in the coming years," he went on. 

"This shows that the dynamism of the economy is in the global south and the Brics is its driving force.”

But that is disingenuous on Lula's part, to say the least. As has been pointed out by the originator of the Bric acronym, who now rejoices in the title of Baron O'Neill of Gatley, all the economic growth in the group has actually come from Xi Jinping's China and Narendra Modi's India.

"None of the other Brics has performed anywhere near as well as those two," he said in an article written in reaction to the bloc's expansion.

"Brazil and Russia account for around the same share of global GDP as they did in 2001, and South Africa is not even the largest economy in Africa [Nigeria has surpassed it]." 

As he also points out, China "dominates the Brics by being twice the size of all the others combined", in much the same way that the US dominates the G7.

So what does slow-growth Brazil gain from being dragged along in China's economic slipstream? 

Rodrigo Zeidan, a Brazilian economist based at China's New York University Shanghai, tells the BBC that Brazil and China alike see the Brics as a "hedge" in terms of global alliances, rather than as a top priority.

"The Brics right now, for Brazil, cost almost nothing," he says. "So if the benefits are not high, it's fine. They are neither a big benefit nor a hindrance."

Since China is its biggest trading partner, Brazil is comfortable maintaining close relations with Beijing, even if the Brics grouping provides it with some "strange bedfellows", as Mr Zeidan puts it.

Lula has certainly maintained an ambiguous position on Russia's war in Ukraine, but that is more due to Brazil's traditional neutrality in foreign policy than to a wish to support a fellow Brics nation.

For Monica de Bolle at the Peterson Institute, herself a Brazilian economist, President Lula showed "a lot of naivety" in committing to the Brics because of his belief in furthering relations among the big so-called global south nations.

As a result, Brazil has now acquired "a China dependency" that could harm it in other foreign policy relations, she says.

"If you are in the US, you know that the US stance on China is not going to change [whoever wins the presidential election in November]," she adds.

"In either case, it's moving in the direction of greater anti-China sentiment. At some point, that's going to create additional reactions from China, which could put Brazil in a very difficult position, because it's perceived as being aligned with China." 

One tangible gain for Brazil from the alliance comes in the shape of the New Development Bank (NDB), a multilateral lender founded by the Brics and described by Lula as "a milestone in effective collaboration between emerging economies".

It is currently headed by Brazilian ex-President Dilma Rousseff. She was President Lula's political protegee, and succeeded him in 2011. But her time in office came to a chaotic end when she was impeached in 2016 for breaking budgetary laws.

The NDB has not only returned her to public life, but since the bank's headquarters are in Shanghai, it makes her key to maintaining links between Brazil and China.

"Dilma is definitely huge in terms of political image. Having Dilma here in Shanghai is very important for strengthening Brazil-China relations," says Mr Zeidan.

Brazil has also benefited directly from NDB money. In June, Ms Rousseff and Brazilian Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin signed a loan deal worth more than $1.1bn (£880m) to help pay for reconstruction after widespread floods in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Regarding the NDB and Russia, the bank put all transactions involving the country on hold in March 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And the NDB has complied with international sanctions against Russia.

But Russia is due to take over the rotating presidency of the bank in mid-2025 and there is some uncertainty over what will happen then.

In the meantime, Ms Rousseff is not averse to attending financial gatherings in Russia, and shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has praised her work at the helm of the NDB.

President Lula is a passionate advocate of the Brics as a means of reforming global governance and giving a greater voice to the developing world. 

He has criticised the "paralysis" of global institutions, while praising the expansion of the Brics as strengthening the fight for more diverse perspectives.

But other observers retort that the Brics are themselves paralysed by their own internal contradictions, with Russia at war in Ukraine, while China and India have their own mutual squabbles.

Ultimately, says Ms de Bolle in Washington, the Brics are "a heterogeneous group of countries that have nothing in common, apart from the fact that they are big".

"The Brics have no clear agenda that has any real weight," agrees Mr Zeidan in Shanghai. 

"Right now, China doesn't ask much of Brazil. However, anything that China asks, Brazil does.

"It's fine to be part of the Brics when the stakes are low. But what if the stakes rise?"

In other words, the effect of the Brics, on Brazil and on the world, may be minor for now. But if China decides to become more assertive, that could change rapidly - and Brazil could be faced with some uncomfortable choices.

quinta-feira, 20 de julho de 2023

Xi Jinping meets Henry Kissinger as US seeks to defrost China ties - Tessa Wong (Asia Digital Reporter, BBC News)

Xi Jinping meets Henry Kissinger as US seeks to defrost China ties

Chinese president Xi Jinping has given a warm welcome to former top diplomat Henry Kissinger, as the US pursues closer ties with China.

Mr Kissinger's surprise trip to the Chinese capital comes amid a flurry of visits by top US officials.

The former secretary of state, who is 100 years old, played a crucial role in helping China emerge from diplomatic isolation in the 1970s.

The US has stressed he is visiting in his capacity as a private citizen. BUT GIVEN HIS OUTSIZED STATURE IN CHINA, HE COULD ACT AS A BACKCHANNEL FOR US-CHINA NEGOTIATIONS.

State television showed Mr Xi smiling as he told Mr Kissinger: "I'm very glad to see you, sir."

They met at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, a more intimate space than the sprawling Great Hall of the People where official meetings with foreign diplomats are usually hosted.

Diaoyutai was also the place where, half a century ago, Mr Kissinger met Chinese officials in a secret visit that helped to kick-start the normalisation of US-China ties, noted Mr Xi.

"We will never forget our old friends, and will not forget your historical contributions to develop US-China relations and friendship between the two peoples," he added.

Mr Xi's affectionate tone mirrored the conciliatory messaging from other top officials who met Mr Kissinger after he touched down on Monday.

Chinese statements on his meetings with top diplomat Wang Yi and defence minister Li Shangfu emphasised the need for respect, co-operation and "peaceful co-existence" between the two superpowers.

The read-outs also quoted Mr Kissinger as saying he was a "friend of China", that "neither the United States nor China can afford to treat the other as an adversary", and that their relations would be "central to the peace in the world and to the progress of our society".

Chinese state media have cast Mr Kissinger's visit in a positive light, while on social media many marvelled at Mr Kissinger's stamina, discussing his trip with the Weibo hashtag "Kissinger can still fly to Beijing for a business trip despite being 100 years old".

But some online also lamented that the US was sending centenarians to promote ties. "Politicians with great wisdom are getting fewer," said one user.

'US needs Kissinger's diplomatic wisdom'

A State Department spokesman earlier this week said that they were aware of Mr Kissinger's trip and "would not be surprised" if he decided to brief them upon his return.

But they also stressed he was there "under his own volition" and not acting on behalf of the US government.

As a private citizen, Mr Kissinger can be more frank in his discussions with Mr Xi and other officials, affording him more leeway in presenting US concerns and demands.

It is also less controversial for him to meet figures such as Mr Li, who has been under US sanctions since 2018 for purchasing arms from Russia. Last month Beijing refused to let Mr Li meet his US counterpart Lloyd Austin at a forum in Singapore, citing the sanctions.

It may be of little surprise that Mr Kissinger decided to take matters into his own hands with his visit.

In an interview in December, Mr Kissinger had criticised the Trump and Biden administrations' approaches to China. He said the current US government was attempting a dialogue that "usually begins with a statement of Chinese iniquities" and that discussions were "stymied".

While Mr Kissinger is no stranger to China - he has visited it more than 100 times and last met Mr Xi in 2019 - this trip comes at a turning point in the US-China relationship.

After months of hostility exacerbated by this year's spy balloon incident, diplomatic negotiations appear to be back on track with China welcoming a series of top US officials in the space of a few weeks.

Apart from Secretary of State Antony Blinken who visited last month, Mr Kissinger is the only US figure Mr Xi has met in recent weeks - a measure of the respect the veteran diplomat still commands in China.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US special envoy for climate John Kerry have also paid visits to Beijing, but did not get face time with China's president.

With its overtly warm reception of Mr Kissinger, Beijing has clearly signalled it wants more engagement from the US, with Mr Wang saying "the US' China policy needs Kissinger's diplomatic wisdom and Nixon's political courage".

But this will not change the fact that China will, in the end, stick to its priorities, said Wen-ti Sung, a political scientist with the Australian National University.

"Beijing may potentially consider making token gestures of goodwill after Kissinger's trip both as a thankyou to its friend and boost Kissinger's standing," he told the BBC.

"But do not expect it to meaningfully shift the fundamentals driving US-China relations, which will be governed not by individual considerations, but by what Beijing sees as its own national interests."

Though Mr Kissinger has a controversial reputation in other parts of Asia for his role in the Vietnam War, in China he remains highly regarded for aiding the country's re-engagement with the world.

In 1971, while the US and China officially had no ties, Mr Kissinger had paid clandestine visits to Beijing to arrange a trip by then-US President Richard Nixon.

The following year Mr Nixon landed on Chinese soil and met top leaders including Mao Zedong. It paved the way for the normalisation of US-China diplomatic relations and the opening-up of China's economy.

Additional reporting by BBC Monitoring.



sexta-feira, 6 de maio de 2022

Quantos generais russos já morreram na guerra de agressão contra a Ucrânia? - Ben Tobias(BBC News)

Desde que esta matéria foi publicada em 26 de março, outros generais podem ter sido atingidos pelas forças ucranianas. A Rússia tem muitos generais, mas os que ainda estão na Rússia estariam dispostos a ir lutar na Ucrânia, sabendo que a inteligência americana os está seguindo de perto?

Paulo Roberto de Almeida 

Russian general Yakov Rezantsev killed in Ukraine

By Ben Tobias
BBC News

Published, 26 March
Yakov RezantsevImage source, Denis NASik/WikimediaCommons
Image caption, 
Yakov Rezantsev was reportedly killed in the Kherson region

Ukraine's defence ministry says another Russian general, Lt Gen Yakov Rezantsev, was killed in a strike near the southern city of Kherson. 

Rezantsev was the commander of Russia's 49th combined army.

A western official said he was the seventh general to die in Ukraine, and the second lieutenant general - the highest rank officer reportedly killed. 

In a conversation intercepted by the Ukrainian military, a Russian soldier complained that Rezantsev had claimed the war would be over within hours, just four days after it began. 

Ukrainian media reported on Friday that the general was killed at the Chornobaivka airbase near Kherson, which Russia is using as a command post and has been attacked by Ukraine's military several times. 

Another lieutenant general, Andrei Mordvichev, was reportedly killed by a Ukrainian strike on the same base. 
Kherson was the first Ukrainian city to be occupied by Russian forces, although there are reports that daily protests are held there against the Russian occupation
Although Russia has confirmed the death of only one general, Kyiv and western officials believe up to seven have been killed in fighting since the war began. 

However the death of Maj Gen Magomed Tushayev of the Chechen national guard has been disputed. 

It is unusual for such senior Russian officers to be so close to the battlefield, and western officials believe that they have been forced to move towards the front lines to deal with low morale among Russian troops. 

The unexpectedly strong Ukrainian resistance, poor Russian equipment and a high death toll amongst Russian troops are all thought to be contributing to the low morale. 

Russian forces are believed to be relying in part on open communication systems, for example mobile phones and analogue radios, which are easy to intercept and could give away the locations of high-ranking officers.

A person inside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's inner circle told the Wall Street Journal that Ukraine had a military intelligence team dedicated to targeting Russia's officer class.

So far, Vladimir Putin has only referred to the death of one general, thought to be Maj Gen Andrey Sukhovetsky, in a speech soon after the start of the war. 

Russia says 1,351 soldiers have died since the war began in Ukraine, although Kyiv and western officials say the number is much higher. 

Russia's lost generals

Yakov Rezantsev

Lt Gen Yakov Rezantsev was reportedly killed by a Ukrainian strike on the Chornobaivka airbase near the city of Kherson. 

He was promoted to lieutenant general last year, and was commander of the 49th combined army of Russia's southern military district. 

He is said to have taken part in Russia's military operation in Syria. 

Andrei Mordvichev

Andrei Mordvichev was killed by a strike on the Chornobaivka airbase near Kherson, according to Ukrainian officials. 

He was the commander of Russia's 8th combined army of the southern military district. 

His death was reported on 18 March. 

Oleg Mityaev graphic

Maj Gen Oleg Mityaev reportedly died somewhere near the city of Mariupol, a city in south-east Ukraine which has seen some of the heaviest fighting so far. 

The nationalist Azov regiment claims to have killed him. 

He was a commander of the Russian army's 150th motorised rifle division, a relatively new unit formed in 2016, and based in the Rostov region close to the Ukrainian border. 

Ukraine claims that the unit was created in order to take part in the conflict in separatist-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine, although Russia denies that its military was involved in fighting there. 

Andrei Kolesnikov graphic

Maj Gen Andrei Kolesnikov, of the 29th combined army, was killed in fighting on 11 March, according to official Ukrainian sources. 

The circumstances of his death were not given. 

After Kolesnikov became the third Russian general reportedly killed in Ukraine, one western official told the Press Association that the Russian army may be suffering from low morale, which is why high-ranking military officers are moving closer to the front line. 

Vitaly Gerasimov

Maj Gen Vitaly Gerasimov, chief of staff of Russia's 41st combined army, was killed on 7 March outside the eastern city of Kharkiv, according to Ukraine's defence ministry. 

Kharkiv, close to the Russian border, has come under sustained attack from Russian forces. 

Ukraine's military released a recording of what it said was two Russian security service officials discussing Gerasimov's death, and complaining that their secure communication networks no longer worked in Ukraine. 

Gerasimov was involved in the second Chechen war, the Russian military operation in Syria, and in the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. 

Andrey Sukhovetsky

Maj Gen Andrey Sukhovetsky, a deputy commander at the same unit as Gerasimov, was reportedly killed by a sniper on 3 March.

Like Gerasimov, Sukhovetsky was part of Russia's military operations in Crimea and in Syria. 

Unlike the other generals, Sukhovetsky's death was reported in the Russian media and Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed in a speech that a general had died in Ukraine.