On July 25-27, 2018, delegations from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa met in Johannesburg for the 10th BRICS Summit. The resulting Johannesburg Declaration placed a heavy emphasis on trade relations, multilateralism, and the bloc’s commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran, in a stark juxtaposition against recent US foreign policy shifts. The summit included a joint session with delegations from eighteen invited African states as well as sideline bilateral meetings with Argentina, Jamaica, and Turkey, in an apparent continuation of China’s BRICS-Plus format when it hosted the 9th BRICS Summit in September 2017. Despite official statements reiterating the strength and relevancy of the bloc, reception of BRICS in the member Rising Powers remains mixed. Read more here.