China Bets on Ties to Blunt Trump Tariffs Amid BRICS Fissures

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China Defies Trump’s 145% Tariffs at BRICS Summit, Urges Emerging Markets to Resist U.S. Trade Bullying

By TRH News Desk

New Delhi, April 30, 2025 — At a recent BRICS meeting, China took a defiant stance against U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating tariffs, urging emerging-market nations to resist what it called a “bullying” trade policy.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s remarks, echoed across by geopolitical experts, signal Beijing’s strategy to counter Trump’s 145% tariffs on Chinese imports by rallying BRICS allies and deepening ties with other global partners.

The approach marks a shift from seeking negotiations to projecting resilience and leadership in a fracturing global trade order.

Wang Yi, China’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, speaking at the BRICS summit, warned against yielding to U.S. tariff threats, stating that appeasement would only embolden the “bully.” His comments emphasized solidarity among BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, and newer members like Egypt and Iran — to counter U.S. levies.

But India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar skipped the meeting in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Also, reports said that the foreign ministers at the BRICS Summit failed to come out with a joint statement, which showed division in the ranks.

China’s defiance follows Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, which raised duties on Chinese goods from 125% to 145% after Beijing imposed retaliatory 84% tariffs on U.S. exports. Unlike Canada and Mexico, whose leaders sought talks with Trump, China has rejected claims of negotiations, with officials denying Trump’s assertion of active discussions.

Beijing’s strategy includes exemptions for some U.S. pharmaceuticals and jet engines from its tariffs, signaling a calculated response to maintain economic leverage while projecting strength.

Geopolitical analysts have highlighted China’s multifaceted approach. Brahma Chellaney, a professor at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi, posted on X “China’s defiance at BRICS is a masterstroke. By framing Trump’s tariffs as bullying, Beijing positions itself as a free-trade champion, wooing EU and ASEAN while BRICS unity grows. Xi’s playing chess, Trump’s playing checkers.”

Chellaney’s analysis suggests China is leveraging the tariff war to enhance its global influence, particularly with Europe and Southeast Asia, where talks to counter U.S. tariffs are underway.

Similarly, Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, commented “Wang Yi’s BRICS speech is a clear pivot. China’s not just resisting Trump’s tariffs but building a coalition — EU, Japan, Korea, ASEAN — to reshape trade rules. Risky, but Beijing’s betting on U.S. isolation.”

Kurlantzick points to China’s diplomatic outreach, including talks with Japan and South Korea, to craft a united response to Trump’s policies, potentially undermining U.S. alliances.

However, not all experts are optimistic. Derek Scissors, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said: “China’s BRICS rhetoric is bold, but tariffs are biting. Growth could drop 1-2% if exports to U.S. fall 80%. Xi’s charm offensive with EU and BRICS can’t fully offset that. Defiance has limits.”

Scissors highlights the economic risks of China’s stance, noting that the Chinese economy, already strained by property sector woes and deflation, faces significant challenges from reduced U.S. trade.

Beyond BRICS, China is engaging Europe and Asia to mitigate tariff impacts. The European Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on April 28, agreeing to host an EU-China summit in July, as reported by The Guardian. These moves aim to replace EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles with softer measures, countering U.S. pressure to isolate Beijing.

China has also initiated economic talks with Japan and South Korea, U.S. allies, for the first time in five years, signaling a broader effort to realign global trade dynamics.

Beijing’s propaganda has framed the tariff war as an opportunity, with state media like People’s Daily claiming, “The more pressure we get, the stronger we become.”

This narrative, echoed by Wang Yi’s call for BRICS unity, positions China as a defender of free trade, appealing to nations wary of Trump’s erratic policies. Russia’s exemption from Trump’s tariffs, as noted by Newsweek, raises speculation that China could route exports through Moscow, though Russian analysts like Sofia Donets and Pavel Kuznetsov expressed mixed views on its feasibility.

China’s defiance at the BRICS meeting is a calculated risk. While Wang Yi’s rhetoric and Beijing’s outreach to Europe and Asia project strength, the economic toll of a U.S.-China trade embargo — potentially slashing China’s growth by up to 2.5% — looms large.

The BRICS bloc, despite its 54.6% share of global population and 42.2% of GDP, lacks the cohesion to challenge the U.S. dollar or replace Western trade systems, as noted by analysts like Cecilia Malmström.

China’s reliance on state propaganda and defiance risks escalating tensions without a clear de-escalation path, as warned by Craig Singleton. Moreover, Beijing’s leniency toward Russia over Ukraine complicates its EU outreach, limiting the depth of new alliances.

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