Indonesia’s absence from bigger BRICS echoes decades of non-aligned policy

Indonesian President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has said he does not wish to rush into joining BRICS [Edgar Su/Reuters]

Medan, Indonesia – Indonesia might seem like a natural fit to join an expanded BRICS, the group of emerging economies made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The Southeast Asian nation of more than 270 million people is a major emerging economy that by some estimates could rank among the world’s top five economies by the middle of the century.