JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday that South Africa cannot allow its economy to be held back by the U.S.-China trade war, which he said was born out of jealousy.

Speaking at the Digital Economy Summit, Ramaphosa said local telecommunications companies, which he did not name, had written to him before he attended last weekend’s G20 summit, urging him to intervene.

“We cannot afford to have our own economy being held back as there is this fight that the U.S is fighting born out of their own jealousy,” said Ramaphosa.