China has expressed its opposition to the use of tariffs as a means of exerting pressure on other countries, in reaction to comments made by United States President Donald Trump.
The remark was made at a press conference on July 7, as the Chinese Foreign Ministry reacted to Trump's suggestion of imposing an extra 10% tariff on BRICS-linked countries over what he called "anti-American policies.
Spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated at the regular press conference that one-sided tariffs benefit nobody. "Tariffs benefit no one," she said, saying that the BRICS bloc represents openness, inclusiveness, and mutually beneficial cooperation.
She went on to explain that BRICS is a cooperation platform tailored for emerging and developing nations with no intention of targeting any particular country.
The BRICS group — originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — first met in 2009. In a major increase last year, five other countries entered the fold: Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier in the day, Trump went on Truth Social to declare his plan to apply increased tariffs to countries that, in his words, ally with the BRICS bloc's position.
"Any Country that aligns itself with the Anti-American policies of BRICS will be subjected to a 10% ADDITIONAL Tariff. There will be NO exceptions to this policy. Thank you for paying attention to this! " Trump stated in his post.
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