Due to the absence of leaders from China and Russia, the BRICS summit opened in Brazil with a low profile, and the joint statement was unusually cautious, even not mentioning the name of the United States. However, Trump was still very angry. Not only did he rush to provoke, but he also set a rule.

The BRICS Summit in Brazil

Recently, the BRICS summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, and foreign media used the word "low key" to describe the opening ceremony of this summit. The main reason is that the leaders of China and Russia both unilaterally missed the event. Foreign media believe that at the time when Trump is waging a global tariff war, the decision of China and Russia may weaken the influence of the United States on the Global South countries.

Of course, this is just one-sided speculation by Western media. It is worth noting that in the joint statement issued by the BRICS countries, multiple parties unanimously condemned "unilateral" tariffs, which are illegal and arbitrary, and will have an important impact on the world economy. The statement did not mention the name of the United States or Trump, but even so, Trump was still very angry.

Before the BRICS summit ended, Trump already made statements, saying that any country approaching the BRICS and trying to oppose the United States would be taxed 10%, without exception. Trump can be considered somewhat self-aware, as he clearly knows that among the countries implementing "unilateral bullying" around the world, the United States is the number one. However, in the absence of being named, Trump was simply provoking criticism.

Trump's warning

The BRICS countries have not yet proposed any measures against the United States, but Trump has already shown signs of anger, which actually exposed the anxiety of the U.S. side. Trump did not explain what specific actions "opposing the United States" refers to, and completely kept the interpretation power in his own hands. In fact, it's just an excuse to curb the expansion of the BRICS.

The BRICS countries have expanded from five to nine official members, and have 13 partner countries. Trump knows well that if allowed to develop, the BRICS will cover half the world's population, one-third of the GDP, and one-fifth of the trade volume, directly undermining the foundation of American hegemony. Using a 10% tariff, the United States can create an "economic barrier," forcing the world to take sides.

Putin attended via video

If you want to get close to the BRICS, you will be directly included in the U.S. target, facing a surge in trade costs, and only by cutting off cooperation with the BRICS can you avoid tariff penalties. Trump's move aims to dismantle the "Global South" united front of the BRICS, especially targeting swing countries.

However, while Trump was making threats, the BRICS had already prepared a counterattack strategy. The summit announced the upgrading of the BRICS cross-border payment system, allowing member states to settle transactions directly in their own currencies, which strikes at the dollar. When the foreign exchange reserves of the Global South countries no longer flow to the United States, financing no longer requires conditional clauses, and cooperation is voluntary rather than coercive, we believe more and more countries will make wise choices.

At the summit site

Additionally, China, Brazil, and South Africa control 70% of the global rare earth production capacity, which can limit the U.S. military industry supply chain. Russia's wheat, Brazil's soybeans, and India's rice form an "anti-starvation reserve pool," hedging against U.S. agriculture. Besides "tariffs," the United States has no other means to stop the development and growth of the BRICS countries.

Trump's 10% tariff might make some countries temporarily bow down, but it cannot reverse the law of history. When hegemony starts to extort the world with the "exceptionalism" theory, it is precisely the beginning of its loss of leadership. Trump's seemingly tough attitude reveals the reality of the decline of American hegemony. Although there are still challenges for the future of the BRICS, there are also infinite possibilities for development opportunities.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524251050136830516/

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