BRASILIA/BEIJING (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chinese President Xi Jinping have discussed the role of the BRICS group of states and bilateral business over a phone call, according to Lula's office and Chinese state media said.

Amid escalating trade tensions with the U.S., Brazilian President Lula da Silva champions a BRICS trade currency to reduce reliance on the dollar. Despite Trump's tariff threats and refusal to engage directly,

BRASILIA, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva presented himself as a torchbearer for multilateralism in a fractured world in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, revealing plans to call the leaders of India and China to discuss a joint BRICS response to tariffs on U.S. imports imposed by President Donald Trump.

On Monday, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which lasted an hour and revolved around the role of BRICS in the changing global order and their trade relations over the next few years.