The agreement between the U.S. and China to mutually reduce additional tariffs has encouraged Brazil to defend its sovereignty and negotiate for reasonable tariffs, said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during his recent state visit to China.
Following a two-day high-level meeting on economic and trade affairs in Geneva, China and the United States announced Monday a series of tariff modification measures aimed at easing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.
During a press conference on Wednesday in Beijing, Lula voiced his appreciation of the U.S.-China tariff cut, and vowed to pursue reasonable tariffs with the U.S. through negotiation and other means.
"Since the 1980s, globalization has been a keyword, and so is free trade. Suddenly some people believe they have the authority to impose taxes on everyone and everything without consent as if they control the world. However, the reality is that the world is not obligated to accept such actions," said Lula.
"Recently, we've seen a positive shift. The U.S. and China have reached an agreement, resulting in lighter taxes than before. This demonstrates the importance of defending our sovereignty. Brazilian officials know that we hope to negotiate with the U.S., and I urged them to utilize every term in our vocabulary related to 'negotiation'. But if we cannot reach an agreement, we will take reciprocal measures or appeal to the WTO to advocate for our rights. In this way, we will help create a more balanced world and ensure fairer trade among all nations," he said.
Lula paid a state visit to China on May 10-14 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Brazil encouraged by US-China tariff cut to seek fair tariff negotiations: president
Brazil encouraged by US-China tariff cut to seek fair tariff negotiations: president
Some Iranians in Türkiye are crossing back over the border, driven by worry and desperation, as a nationwide communications blackout in Iran has left them cut off from their loved ones.
Protests have erupted in many Iranian cities since Dec. 28. They initially began with Tehran bazaar merchants demonstrating against the sharp devaluation of the national currency rial, and soaring inflation, before spreading to other cities. The unrest has led to casualties among both security forces and civilians.
At the Turkish-Iranian border, many are returning with no certainty about what awaits them, filled instead with questions and growing fear for those on the other side of the border.
"I went to Van yesterday for internet. I urgently needed to use the internet. I got it done. Now I'm heading straight back. There are protests everywhere. We can't get any news. We can't communicate with our families. And it's not just me, there are many Iranians outside the country who can't reach their families," said Feriste, an Iranian citizen.
With communications blacked out across Iran, those outside the country feel powerless to check on the situation back home. For some, this silence has prompted them to return across the border, even as tensions continue to rise.
"We can't get any news. There is no internet. Everything is shut down. I want to search. I want to find out. I want to see my brother. I'm going to see my family," said Husnu, an Iranian citizen.
"I work in Türkiye, and I have no news from Iran at all. I'm going back because I'm worried about my family. It's been days since I last heard from them, and because I'm worried, I'm returning to Iran now. Of course, we are concerned about our safety. We don't know what awaits us there," said another Iranian.
With protests escalating and government blackouts still in place, many Iranians are caught between staying in safety abroad and risking everything to reconnect with their families.
"We had to come to Türkiye because we couldn't reach our families. Schools were closed already. All official institutions were shut down. We have no information about other cities either, because there is no communication network there. There is no television, no internet. We can't even check Twitter," said Nazlican, another Iranian citizen.
Iranians in Türkiye return home, fearing for their families amid unrest in Iran
