The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, criticized on Saturday, the 12th, trade tariffs during the BRICS summit in India. The country’s leader, however, avoided directly naming the United States, according to information from the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
According to the agency, during his speech, Xi Jinping urged BRICS members to oppose “arbitrary trade tariffs and reject all forms of protectionism”.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will not participate in the meeting and will be represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira. BRICS brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, in addition to other emerging countries.
During the meeting, the leaders of the group expressed concern about the rising tensions in the Middle East and condemned the use of sanctions not authorized by the United Nations (UN). Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended the meeting.
Although the statement did not name the United States explicitly, the messages conveyed were interpreted as signals to the country governed by Donald Trump.
Currently, Russia, which is a BRICS member, has been the target of Western sanctions after invading Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking part in the bloc’s meeting.
At the same time, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi adopted a conciliatory tone. The Indian leader stated that the group is a platform for emerging economies to have more voice in global discussions. “BRICS is not against anyone,” he said, adding that the bloc had reached a moment of “maturation,” in which the Global South should evolve to become a “rule-maker” in global governance.
“It is time to transform our unity and consensus in BRICS into concrete results,” he said.
