Mapping Indonesia Relation to BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa): Two-Level Game Theory Approach

The rise of BRICS—taken from the acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—marks a significant shift in the global political and economic order, offering both opportunities and challenges for emerging powers such as Indonesia. As BRICS positions itself as an alternative to Western-dominated institutions, Indonesia faces the strategic question of how best to engage with the organization to safeguard and advance its national interests. This research examines the trajectory of BRICS as a global actor, utilizing Two-Level Game Theory as the analytical framework. The theory provides a lens to understand how Indonesia must simultaneously navigate external negotiations with BRICS members (Level I) and reconcile those engagements with domestic political, economic, and institutional constraints (Level II). The purpose of this study is to evaluate Indonesia’s strategic policy options toward BRICS in order to identify a foreign policy posture that balances international bargaining opportunities with domestic constraints while safeguarding autonomy and promoting economic diversification. The findings suggest that Indonesia’s optimal strategy lies in adopting a pragmatic and adaptive approach: leveraging BRICS’ platforms, such as the New Development Bank, for financing, strengthening South-South cooperation, and enhancing global bargaining power, while ensuring alignment with domestic development priorities and maintaining political legitimacy. Ultimately, Indonesia’s participation in BRICS initiatives must be guided not only by opportunities at the international level but also by the imperative to maintain coherence with domestic agendas, thereby maximizing strategic benefits in a complex multipolar order.