1 of 15

From left, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazil's President Michel Temer and Russia's President Vladimir Putin, get ready for a group photo at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. Putin arrived in South Africa Thursday, the last head of state to arrive for the Summit. (Gianluigi Guerci/Pool Photo via AP)

2 of 15

China's President Xi Jinping takes his seat for the first closed session of the BRICS summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. The five leaders of the BRICS emerging economies have gathered in South Africa for an annual summit where the United States is being criticized for escalating tariffs on foreign goods. (Mike Hutchings/Pool Photo via AP)

3 of 15

Members of the major emerging national economies group BRICS, with from left, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China's President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, and Brazil's President Michel Temer, as they pose together for a group photo at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday the world faces "a choice between cooperation and confrontation". (Mike Hutchings/Pool via AP)

4 of 15

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the BRICS summit of major emerging national economies, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. The five leaders of the BRICS emerging economies have gathered in South Africa for an annual summit. (Mike Hutchings/Pool via AP)

5 of 15

From left, China's President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Russia's President Vladimir Putin, walk to their places for a group photo at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. The five leaders of the BRICS emerging economies have gathered in South Africa for an annual summit where the United States is being criticized for escalating tariffs on foreign goods. (Gianluigi Guerci/Pool Photo via AP)

6 of 15

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, walks with Brazil's President Michel Temer at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. The five leaders of the BRICS emerging economies have gathered in South Africa for an annual summit where the United States is being criticized for escalating tariffs on foreign goods. (Mike Hutchings/Pool Photo via AP)

7 of 15

Turkish embassy staff argue with police after the police broke up a gathering of protesters outside the Turkish embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. A group of activists from the Turkish Solidarity Network were attacked and prevented from picketing at the newly-opened Turkish Embassy, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in the country to attend the BRICS Summit. (AP Photo)

8 of 15

Demonstrators stage a protest outside the newly-opened Turkish embassy, in Pretoria, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. A group of activists from the Turkish Solidarity Network were attacked and prevented from picketing at the newly-opened Turkish Embassy, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in the country to attend the BRICS Summit. (AP Photo)

9 of 15

Brazil's President Michel Temer attends the BRICS summit of major emerging national economies, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. The five leaders of the BRICS emerging economies have gathered in South Africa for an annual summit. (Mike Hutchings/Pool via AP)

10 of 15

Members of the major emerging national economies group BRICS, with from left, China's President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazil's President Michel Temer and Russia's President Vladimir Putin, as they pose together for a group photo at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday the world faces "a choice between cooperation and confrontation". (Mike Hutchings/Pool via AP)

11 of 15

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, walks with Brazil's President Michel Temer at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. The five leaders of the BRICS emerging economies have gathered in South Africa for an annual summit where the United States is being criticized for escalating tariffs on foreign goods. (Mike Hutchings/Pool Photo via AP)

12 of 15

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during an opening ceremony for new Turkish embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. Erdogan is in the country to attend an emerging national economies summit (BRICS) in Johannesburg.(Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool)

13 of 15

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during an opening ceremony for new Turkish embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. Erdogan is in the country to attend an emerging national economies summit (BRICS) in Johannesburg.(Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool)

14 of 15

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during an opening ceremony for new Turkish embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Thursday, July 26, 2018. Erdogan is in the country to attend an emerging national economies summit (BRICS) in Johannesburg. Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, left, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, second left, Erdogan's wife Emine Erdogan, fourth left, and Economy Minister Berat Albayrak, right.(Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool)

15 of 15

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine, inspect a military honour guard upon their arrival in Johannesburg, South Africa, late Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Erdogan is attending an emerging national economies summit (BRICS) in Johannesburg. (Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool)

BRICS leaders join hands at summit in South Africa

By Associated Press AP

PUBLISHED 1:56 PM ET May. 09, 2019

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping urged fellow leaders of the BRICS emerging economies to "reject protectionism outright" on Thursday during their annual summit in which the United States is being criticized for escalating tariffs on foreign goods.

Xi along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Michel Temer and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa clasped hands and posed for a group photograph on the second day of their meeting in Johannesburg.

The Trump administration's trade war with China, the world's second-largest economy, and other major trading partners has given focus to the summit to rally support for what Xi called "common prosperity."

The Chinese leader criticized the "escalation of protectionism and unilateralism" that he said has directly affected the development of emerging markets.

"We must unlock enormous potential for economic cooperation," he said, and fight back against protectionism by working through the United Nations, the Group of 20 nations and elsewhere.

The BRICS leaders later signed a declaration in which they agreed to strengthen economic and security cooperation, uphold "multilateralism" and work toward "a fairer international order."

"We call on all WTO members to abide by WTO rules," they said in a statement, referring to the World Trade Organization.

A day earlier at the summit, Xi said the world faces "a choice between cooperation and confrontation" amid the trade dispute with the United States in which he warned there would be no winner. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, accused China of "vicious" tactics on trade.

Putin, for his part, supported the idea of opening regional branches of the New Development Bank for BRICS. "We are negotiating with Brazil on this matter, starting from the fact that after the completion of the issue, the opening of the office in Russia will begin," he said.

___

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.