1 of 16

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers his speech at the opening of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg Wednesday, July 25, 2017. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

2 of 16

China's President Xi Jinping, left, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, middle, and Robert Haydn Davies, minister of trade and industry of South Africa, leave the stage after the opening of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, July 25, 2018. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

3 of 16

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening session of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg Wednesday, July 25 2018. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

4 of 16

Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, right, at the opening of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg Wednesday, July 25 2018. The summit runs through to Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Yeshiel Panchia)

5 of 16

China's President Xi Jinping waves as he leaves the stage after the opening of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, July 25, 2018. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

6 of 16

China's President Xi Jinping leave the stage after the opening of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, July 25, 2018. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

7 of 16

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers his speech at the opening of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg Wednesday, July 25 2017. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

8 of 16

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers his speech at the opening of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg Wednesday, July 25 2017. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

9 of 16

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks during his opening of the BRICS Summit in JOhannesburg Wednesday, July 25 2018. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

10 of 16

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening session of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg Wednesday, July 25 2018. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

11 of 16

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks during his opening of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg Wednesday, July 25 2018. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

12 of 16

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers his speech at the opening of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg Wednesday, July 25 2017. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

13 of 16

Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, inspects the honour guard during an official welcoming ceremony at the government's Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, July 24, 2018. Jinping is in the country to attend the three-day BRICS Summit starting Wednesday in Johannesburg. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

14 of 16

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks during his opening of the BRICS Summit in JOhannesburg Wednesday, July 25 2018. The summit runs through Friday with various heads of BRICS attending. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

15 of 16

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 25, 2018, before traveling to South Africa to attend an emerging national economies summit (BRICS). Erdogan has argued against severing economic ties with Iran as the United States readies for sanctions, saying it goes against the independence of states to cut ties with its "neighbor and strategic partner" because the U.S. demands it. (Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool)

16 of 16

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, second left, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, centre, and Uganda First Janet Museveni, left unveil an artistic impression of Mahatama Gandi during a meeting with the Indian Community in Uganda in the capital Kampala, Tuesday July 24, 2018. Modi on Tuesday announced a $205 million loan to Uganda during a visit to the country, the second stop in his tour of Africa ahead of this week's summit of the BRICS emerging economies. (AP Photo/Stephen Wandera)

BRICS: South Africa says world trading system is in crisis

By Associated Press AP

PUBLISHED 1:56 PM ET May. 09, 2019

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday the world faces "a choice between cooperation and confrontation" amid a trade war with the United States that he warned would have no winner.

Those who pursue "economic hegemony" will "only end up hurting themselves," Xi said at the annual summit of the BRICS emerging economies, held this year in Johannesburg.

"Unilateralism and protectionism are mounting, dealing a severe blow to multilateralism and the multilateral trading regime," he added in remarks critical of escalating U.S. tariffs on goods from China, the world's second-largest economy, and other major trading partners.

Just hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump accused China of "vicious" tactics on trade, tweeting that China was specifically targeting U.S. farmers with retaliatory tariffs because "they know I love & respect" them.

The other leaders of BRICS countries — Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazilian President Michel Temer — are expected to join the three-day summit. Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has also been invited.

Ramaphosa also expressed concern about "the rise in unilateral measures that are incompatible with World Trade Organization rules" and are especially damaging to developing countries.

Trump's comments on China came after his administration announced a plan to provide $12 billion in emergency relief for farmers who have been slammed by the president's trade disputes. China has retaliated to American tariffs with duties on some U.S. products.

The Chinese leader told the summit that "we are facing a choice between cooperation and confrontation, between opening up and a closed-door policy."

"The current international order is not perfect," Xi said, but it should not be discarded "as long as it is rule-based, aims to be equitable and pursues win-win outcomes as its goals."

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.