China vows to defend Brazil’s sovereignty as Trump’s 25% tariff bites

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Brazil that Beijing would continue to support its sovereignty, security, and development interests hours after a 25 per cent US tariff on Brazilian goods took effect.

Wang met Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on Wednesday in Manila, on the sidelines of the 59th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers, where Vieira is also attending the third Brazil-Asean ministerial.

China would go on to “support Brazil in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests”, Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout that described Brazil as an emerging economy with global influence and a representative voice of the Global South.

Wang paired the offer with a request, saying he trusted Brazil would “continue to respect and support China in defending its core interests”, the wording Beijing uses for Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong.

Sovereignty has become the organising theme of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s response to Washington.

The US has imposed tariffs tied in part to the prosecution of the former president Jair Bolsonaro, and this month designated the First Capital Command and the Red Command as foreign terrorist organisations.