NEW DELHI – In a rare show of support for its regional rival, China has strongly criticized the U.S. government’s decision to impose tariffs of up to 50% on Indian exports. Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong described the tariffs as a misuse of trade policy and an attempt by Washington to use tariffs as a “weapon” to pressure its trading partners. He called for India and China to step up cooperation to jointly counter the challenges posed by what he termed a “trade war started by the U.S.”
The tariffs, which were implemented in a two-stage process, include a 25% tariff on a broad range of Indian goods, with an additional 25% penalty specifically for India’s continued purchases of discounted Russian oil. This move has been widely seen as an attempt to penalize India’s economic ties with Moscow and has strained the relationship between the two democracies.
The tariffs have triggered a sharp political backlash in India. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of damaging India’s international standing through his close ties with President Donald Trump, calling Modi an “enemy of the nation” for prioritizing personal friendship over national interest. Kharge argued that Modi’s deviation from India’s long-standing foreign policy of neutrality and non-alignment directly led to the current economic repercussions and the need for a recalibration of relations with China.
