Jul 07, Kathmandu - China said on Monday that the BRICS group, which also includes Brazil, Russia and India, does not want “confrontation” after US President Donald Trump vowed to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on countries linked to the BRICS.

"On taxation, China has repeatedly made its position clear that there are no winners in trade and tariff wars and that protectionism provides no way forward," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.

Trump said he would send the first batch of tariff letters to various countries on Monday, just days before his deadline for trading partners to reach a deal.

He said he would send the first batch of 15 letters on Sunday, warning that if the countries fail to reach a deal, US tariffs on imports would return to the high levels set in April.

In a post on his Truth social network, he threatened to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on emerging countries that align with the BRICS nations, accusing them of being “anti-American” after criticism of his tariffs at the summit in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.

Conceived two decades ago as a platform for rapidly developing economies, BRICS is seen as a counterweight to the US and Western European powers, driven by China.

However, Beijing defended the grouping on Monday as “an important platform for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries.”

“It advocates openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation,” Mao said. “It does not engage in factional confrontation and is not targeted at any country.”