China holds talks with Saudi Arabia and South Africa on how to respond to US tariffs

China’s Commerce Minister, Wang Wentao, held separate video calls on Thursday with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and South Africa to exchange views on how to respond to the United States' "reciprocal tariffs," according to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce released on Friday.

During the talks, China emphasized strengthening bilateral economic and trade ties with both countries. In his conversation with Saudi Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah al-Qasabi, Wang discussed boosting cooperation with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. Meanwhile, his exchange with South Africa's Parks Tau touched on the roles of multilateral platforms such as the G20 and BRICS.

The ministry did not provide further details on the content of the discussions.