‘Not Black And White, Don’t Link Them To US Moves’: Jaishankar On ‘Evolving’ India-China Ties

Last Updated:August 23, 2025, 13:48 IST

EAM S Jaishankar said it would be a “mistaken analysis” to see India-China relations as a direct reaction to developments with the United States.

EAM S Jaishankar (PTI Image)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday dismissed speculations that recent diplomatic outreach between India and China was driven by Washington’s trade actions, including US President Donald Trump’s tariff moves.

Speaking at The Economic Times World Leaders Forum 2025, Jaishankar said it would be a “mistaken analysis” to see India-China relations as a direct reaction to developments with the United States.

“What I want you to understand is it’s not black and white. It’s not that something has happened with America, so therefore, immediately, something has happened with China… There are different timelines of different lengths on different problems,” he said.

The minister underlined that ties between New Delhi and Beijing were part of a longer, evolving trajectory and could not be reduced to one-off responses to specific global events.

“I think it would be a mistaken analysis to try and crunch everything and make it into an integrated response to a very specific situation… Today, of course, there is a global landscape… I want you to understand there is an evolution. There’s a flow of that relationship. There are other relationships, but don’t make this connection so tight. That’s not the reality,” Jaishankar noted.

His remarks come against the backdrop of speculations that India and China are moving closer diplomatically in the wake of the US announcing higher tariffs on both countries.

India-China Ties

This week, Chinese Foreign Minister and senior Communist Party leader Wang Yi visited India at the invitation of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

During his visit, Wang Yi co-chaired the 24th round of the Special Representatives’ Dialogue on the Boundary Question alongside NSA Doval.

He also held bilateral discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The high-level engagement comes ahead of PM Modi’s planned visit to China for the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

EAM Slams US Tariffs

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also criticised Washington for what he described as “unjustified and unreasonable” tariffs imposed on Indian exports, after the Trump administration hiked duties to over 50 per cent in response to India’s purchase of Russian oil.

Jaishankar underscored that New Delhi’s top priority was safeguarding the interests of farmers and small producers, making it clear that there would be no compromise on this front.

“What we are concerned about is that red lines are primarily the interest of our farmers and, to some extent, our small producers. So when people pronounce that we have succeeded or failed, we as a government are committed to defending the interests of our farmers and small producers. We are determined on that. That’s not something we can compromise,” Jaishankar said.

He also pushed back against the framing of the issue as an “oil dispute,” pointing out that criticism directed at India for buying Russian crude was not similarly applied to other major importers.

The minister noted, “The same criticism levelled at India for purchasing Russian energy had not been applied to larger importers, such as China and European nations.”

About the Author

Ronit Singh

Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be…Read More

Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be… Read More

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