By Charles Pemu 
China has dismissed claims that the BRICS alliance comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa is targeting the United States, following a threat by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose additional tariffs on countries aligning with the bloc.
In a statement on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the BRICS group “does not seek confrontation” and emphasized that “trade and tariff wars have no winners.”
President Trump, via his Truth Social platform on Sunday, announced plans to issue tariff warnings to countries he claimed were adopting “anti-American policies” in support of BRICS. He vowed to impose an additional 10% tariff on imports from nations siding with the bloc and warned that existing tariffs would revert to their previous high levels if no trade deals were reached.
Trump’s threat followed criticisms of U.S. trade policies at a recent BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, which he said amounted to coordinated opposition against American interests.
China, however, reiterated that BRICS remains a platform focused on economic collaboration among developing nations. “It advocates openness, inclusivity, and win-win cooperation,” said Mao. “It is not directed at any particular country and does not engage in bloc politics.”
BRICS, initially formed as a forum for emerging economies, has increasingly been seen as a counterbalance to U.S. and Western influence in global affairs.