The Russian and Chinese leaders unleashed on Mr Trump at the BRICS Summit in Brasilia where Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro also welcomed leaders from India and South Africa. Currently embroiled in a trade war with the US, Xi Jinping blamed Mr Trump for political hostility that has gripped the two countries. He said: “Protectionist and bullying counter-currents bring shocks to international trade, adding to downward pressure on the world economy.”
The comments came despite the countries seemingly having made progress, with the Chinese Commerce Ministry saying a first phase agreement trade agreement is close.
Russian President Putin also waded in with a damning assessment of his own as Mr Trump appears increasingly isolated on the world stage.
Mr Putin said: “The BRICS countries are making considerable contributions to support growth.
“The global economy has been influenced by the wide usage of unfair competition in trade, unilateral sanctions, including those that are politically motivated, and protectionism is flourishing.”
Mr Putin appeared to be alluding to Western sanctions placed on Russia as its diplomatic relations with NATO and other nations deteriorates.
President Trump’s economic assault on China started in 2018 when the White House hiked tariffs and trade barriers due to alleged unfair trade practices in Beijing, including theft of intellectual property and trade secrets, and forced transfer of US technology to China.
Xi Jinping’s administration is now asking for these tariffs to be withdrawn as the two countries try to repair relations.
Beijing Ministry spokesman Gao Feng told reporters: “China has emphasised many times that the trade war began with additional tariffs and should end with the cancellation of additional tariffs.”
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He used the platform to announce his country’s plans to be a $5trillion (£3.8trillion) economy by 2024, up from $2.6trillion (£2.1trillion) in 2018.
Russia and China still pose the most significant threat to the US on the international stage, with trade war exchanges strengthening Moscow-Beijing relations.
China’s compromised trade in the West has made it less powerful in relation to Russia, resulting in Moscow becoming a more important ally to Beijing than it has been previously.
China is Russia’s biggest trade partner while Moscow is Beijing’s biggest weapon supplier.