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China floats BRICS free-trade deal, while Russia’s Vladimir Putin calls for an alternative to US dollar
- China’s vice-commerce minister Wang Shouwen says a free-trade deal will help tap economic potential of the five nations
- Russian President Vladimir Putin says the emerging economies are exploring their own international reserve currency
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China has proposed a free-trade bloc among the five BRICS countries in a bid to enhance economic ties within the decade-old grouping, as its geopolitical rivalry heats up with the United States.
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Trade between Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa has huge potential to expand, as it accounts for only 6 per cent of the countries’ combined trade today, despite the major emerging economies contributing to about one-fifth of global trade, said vice-commerce minister Wang Shouwen.
“To build a free-trade agreement is a very important means to tap this trade potential, which China is willing to discuss with other BRICS countries,” he told a panel at the BRICS Business Forum on Wednesday.
Beijing is trying to consolidate its trade interests as Washington tries to box in China’s economic influence with the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), while banning imports from Xinjiang over alleged forced labour.
India, though part of the BRICS grouping, is a member of IPEF and the US-led Quad alliance.
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