BRICS countries urged to oppose protectionism

At the latest gathering of the senior diplomats of BRICS nations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi lashed out at the tariff and trade wars launched by Washington, saying that upholding multilateral trade rules is imperative.

"If one chooses to stay silent and compromise, it will only embolden the bullies to push further," Wang warned in a speech at the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday.

The United States has long reaped enormous benefits from free trade, and it is "now using tariffs as leverage to extort exorbitant demands from other nations", he said.