Larry Summers, the former Treasury Secretary, tweeted recently about a comment he had heard from somebody in a developing country: "Look, I like your values better than I like China's. But the truth is, when we're engaged with the Chinese, we get an airport. And when we're engaged with you guys, we get a lecture."

The "non-interference" nations appreciate that it is easier to become friends when others don't judge you. The five BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - are a potent global force to counterbalance the West. They collectively represent 40% of the world's population and a combined GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) greater than the G-7.

The BRICS Development Bank, founded in 2015 to aid infrastructure and sustainable development projects in member countries, has added three new countries - Bangladesh, UAE, and recently, Egypt, in February. Two countries with among the world's worst human rights records - Saudi Arabia and Iran - recently joined hands with China to bolster trade and establish diplomatic relations. Although they are not yet part of the BRICS combine, their move into the China fold should be worrisome to the United States.