China courts Gulf, BRICS allies as trade war with US escalates
Since US President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on more than 180 countries on April 2, Beijing has stepped up engagement with Riyadh.
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held calls on Thursday with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and South Africa to discuss responses to the US tariffs that have roiled financial markets and sparked fears of a global recession.
A statement from the Chinese Commerce Ministry issued Friday read that the conversations took place over two separate video calls, in which strengthening bilateral ties between China and the two countries was also discussed.
In his call with Saudi Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah al-Qasabi, Wang discussed enhancing cooperation with Gulf Cooperation Council countries, according to the statement.
With South African Commerce Minister Parks Tau, Wang discussed the G20 — of which South Africa currently holds the presidency — and BRICS, a group of major emerging economies originally including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, often seen as an alternative to Western hegemony. Saudi Arabia is reportedly considering joining the bloc.
