BRICS denounces protectionism, tariff blackmail

BRASILIA/BEIJING: Leaders of the 11-member BRICS bloc railed against economic protectionism and “tariff blackmail” during a virtual meeting Monday, as Chinese President Xi Jinping called for resisting all modes of trade protectionism.

The unanimous stance came amid the US-China trade war turning global after President Donald Trump entered the White House for his second term and adopted tariffs as main policy tool to forward American agenda.

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The BRICS represents nearly 40 per cent of global GDP and almost half of the world’s population.

Xi, according to Chinese media, urged the member states to defend multilateralism and cooperation based upon bilateral interests.

On the other hand, he also said that international economic and trade system must sustain and added that the World Trade Organisation should defend the multilateral trade system.

“Tariff blackmail is being normalised as an instrument to conquer markets and interfere in domestic affairs,” Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said, who took the initiative of this videoconference.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a prepared speech, told BRICS counterparts that “unilateral tariff actions are contributing to an increasingly protectionist environment which poses great hardships and danger for the countries of the Global South.”

The latest remarks came as China — a one-party communist state — in an ironic turned to events has become the champion of free trade. But the United States — the world’s first democracy and the least regulated developed country among G7 — is pursuing the trade protectionism and has been relying on sanctions for decades.

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‘RISING UNILATERALISM’

Earlier, Lin Jian, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson described the BRICS cooperation mechanism as “an important platform for solidarity and cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries”

Answering a question about the summit’s goals, he said, “In the face of rising unilateralism and protectionism, BRICS countries jointly safeguard multilateralism, defend fairness and justice, promote common development, and become a positive and stable force for good in international affairs.”

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‘ORDERLY MULTIPOLAR WORLD’

Moreover, Lin said, “China stands ready to work with other parties to further act on the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation.”

However, he also listed some other goals for the purpose.

It included promoting high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation, jointly working for a more just and equitable global governance system, and making new contributions to an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation.

‘BULLYING THE SMALL GUYS’

He also replied to a query about US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing “visa restrictions on those citizens of Central American nations as well as their immediate family members who engage in cooperation with the Communist Party of China”.

The spokesperson’s response was: “That once again reflects how the US is accustomed to bullying the “small guys” in international relations.”

He added that the announcement once again revealed a “deep-seated ideological bias and Cold-War mentality”.

“China deplores and firmly opposes the US’s baseless vilification, coercive diplomacy and blatant interference and sabotage against China’s relations with Central American countries.”

Lin also made it clear that “weaponising visas will not scare off the sober-minded”.

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