Digital economy and U.S. opposition to telecom major Huawei likely to be prominent issues

Calling for a united stand on issues surrounding 5G networks and data storage, diplomats from the five-nation grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa said the digital economy would dominate the meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers in Brasilia on Friday.

Making a special mention of the U.S. opposition to Chinese telecom major Huawei, diplomats said the BRICS group of emerging economies would seek to “coordinate” positions on the contentious issue.

The BRICS countries may also search for common ground on data localisation, of particular interest to India, after the Reserve Bank passed guidelines ensuring that financial data pertaining to Indians is stored only in Indian servers.

On Huawei

India is yet to clarify whether it will include Huawei in its trials of 5G equipment due to start in September. The issue had been raised on the sidelines of the Osaka G-20 summit in June, but no decision has been announced.

“Regarding the [policy] of the United States of America with regard to certain Chinese companies, we deem it an inappropriate way of dealing with competition,” said Russian deputy Ambassador Roman Babushkin, indicating that Moscow believes the U.S. moves against Huawei are motivated by commercial considerations, not security risks, as claimed.

“We will be discussing 5G,” said Brazil’s deputy chief of mission in Delhi Brenna Herman, adding that countries “coordinate positions, but BRICS is not a mechanism against any particular country or grouping.”

India will be represented at the BRICS forum by Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways V.K. Singh.