The BRICS countries, including China, Brazil, Russia, South Africa and India, do not want a confrontation with US President Donald Trump on trade.
This was stated by a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Trump’s threat to impose an additional import duty of 10 percent on countries that join the BRICS’ “anti-American policy”.
Trump’s threat came after criticism of his tariffs was voiced at the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday. The Israeli-American airstrikes on Iran were also condemned.
Iran is a member of the organisation, as are Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia. Several countries are interested in becoming members, including Turkey, Malaysia, and Azerbaijan.
According to China, a trade war has no winners. The ministry also said that BRICS is a platform for cooperation among emerging economies and does not seek confrontation with any particular country.