China has strongly criticised the United States over its imposition of steep tariffs on Indian goods, with Beijing’s envoy to New Delhi labelling Washington’s move as “unfair and unreasonable.”

Speaking at a seminar marking the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong described the 50 percent tariff levied on India as an abuse of economic power and a misuse of tariffs as a trade weapon.

He pointed out that the US, despite historically benefiting from free trade, has chosen to politicise economic interactions and use punitive tariffs to extract what he described as “exorbitant prices.” Xu’s remarks underscored Beijing’s opposition to Washington’s tariff regime and its broader strategy of employing trade sanctions as leverage against countries doing business with Russia.

The US decision to impose a combined 50 percent tariff on Indian imports—made up of a base 25 percent tariff announced earlier this month and a further 25 percent secondary sanction effective from August 27—has emerged as a flashpoint in global trade tensions.

President Donald Trump confirmed the measures were tied directly to India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil, which he insisted had deprived Moscow of “hundreds of billions of dollars” since the sanctions began.

Trump warned that these tariffs were only the first stage in a broader punitive regime, indicating that “Phase-2” and “Phase-3” measures could be introduced against countries aligned economically with Russia. The US president made clear that India, as the largest buyer of Russian oil after China, was at risk of deeper penalties if it did not diversify away from Russian sources.

While the White House has granted China temporary relief from additional tariffs until November due to ongoing negotiations, India has faced harsher measures, signalling Washington’s growing impatience with New Delhi’s energy strategy.

Trump has also argued that tariffs are not only a tool of pressure on Russia but also necessary to rebalance what he perceives as one-sided economic relationships. He maintained that India, along with China and Brazil, had for decades imposed heavy tariffs on American goods while enjoying freer access to the US market.

At a press conference alongside the Polish president, Trump described US-India trade as a “one-sided disaster,” accusing New Delhi of protecting its domestic industries at the expense of American competitors. He claimed that despite India exporting a large volume of goods to the United States, American companies have long faced barriers when trying to enter the Indian market.

In this context, the US president revealed that India had, in the wake of recent tariff hikes, offered him a “no tariff” deal to ease tensions.

While Trump cast this as a vindication of his hardline approach, he dismissed the gesture as “too late,” saying that concessions were being made only because Washington had escalated its trade offensive.

Beijing, however, has sought to frame the escalating tensions as an opportunity for China and India to close ranks against Washington’s aggressive trade practices.

Ambassador Xu reiterated the importance of Sino‑Indian cooperation as both nations pursue their developmental goals and attempt to steer the global economy in a multipolar direction. Citing the recent exchange between Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he relayed Beijing’s vision of India-China collaboration as central to building an “Asian century.”

Xu placed this argument within the broader thematic framing of his speech, titled Learning from History to Safeguard the Light of Peace, Joining Hands to Chart a Blueprint for Development, emphasising shared historical legacies and the collective responsibility of Asian players to counter destabilising external pressures.

The episode highlights an emerging triangular fault line in global economic diplomacy: the United States using tariffs and secondary sanctions to weaken Russia’s oil trade, India grappling with the dual pressure of its energy needs and growing penalties from Washington, and China positioning itself as both a vocal critic of US economic coercion and a potential partner for India in weathering the storm.

While Trump has hinted that deeper sanctions are yet to come, New Delhi’s balancing act between strategic energy security and maintaining trade access to the American market is becoming increasingly precarious.

At the same time, China’s overt messaging in support of India on this matter suggests that Beijing sees an opportunity to strengthen its standing with India, even amidst long-standing border and security tensions, by aligning both countries’ interests against Washington’s tariff-heavy strategies.

Based On ANI Report