“China will work with Brazil to (…) exercise true multilateralism, guarantee the UN’s central role and defend the legitimate rights and interests of Global South countries,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, when answering Brasil de Fato/TVT about whether talks had begun between Brazil and China or within BRICS to confront the wave of tariffs initiated by the Trump administration in the United States.
The new US government’s policy of tariffs has targeted both countries. In the case of China, 10% tariffs have been applied to imports of all Chinese products. Brazil is likely to be affected by 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum the US imports. President Lula has said that he will react to Trump’s steel tax. Last Friday (14), Lula told Rádio Clube do Pará that Brazil would complain to the WTO or tax US products.
The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman also said that “China supports Brazil’s BRICS presidency and will jointly advance further BRICS cooperation”. He added that “as two major countries in the world and representative members of the Global South, China and Brazil have maintained our strategic determination and made active contributions to global peace, stability and development together in a volatile and turbulent world.”
Last week, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with the Brazilian president’s special advisor, Celso Amorim, at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. Both expressed their willingness to strengthen talks and coordination and to deepen cooperation within the BRICS structure and between China and Latin American countries.
More tariffs on China?
Last week, US President Donald Trump announced that the US government would impose tariffs on imported cars starting on April 2nd. The president did not specify which countries would be affected by these tariffs, but during the campaign, Trump mentioned China in a disinformation story, according to which the Asian country did not build factories in Mexico because he had threatened to impose 200% tariffs only on Chinese cars coming from Mexico.
More tariffs could be implemented against China in the coming months when the US Trade Representative’s investigations under the so-called Section 301 of the US Trade Act involving China are concluded. Of the ten listed on the organization’s website as ongoing, four are related to China (the semiconductor industry; maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors; fentanyl and technology transfer).
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman reiterated that the country “has always believed there is no way out of protectionism and there are no winners in trade and tariff wars.”
“The US should also realize that what the international community needs is not additional tariffs, but to resolve their respective concerns through equal consultations based on mutual respect,” said Guo. He concluded by saying that China would continue to take the necessary measures to defend firmly its legitimate rights and interests.
