India, Aug. 12 -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday discussed the role of the BRICS bloc, bilateral business ties and the importance of self-reliance among Global South nations, in the backdrop of steep tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

The conversation between Lula and Xi Jinping came days after the Brazilian president spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the fallout from Trump's decision to raise tariffs on both countries to 50% - one of the highest rates imposed by the US president.

The development also comes after Lula signalled last week that he intended to hold talks with the leaders of India and China to explore a coordinated response to US trade mea...