China has come out strongly against Washington’s tariff policy targeting India, with its envoy in New Delhi stressing that Beijing and New Delhi are “partners, not rivals” and should focus on cooperation instead of suspicion. The remarks come at a time when the two Asian neighbours have announced steps to steady relations, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to travel to China later this month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
China Opposes US Tariffs on India
Speaking at an event in the capital, Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong criticised the United States’ decision to impose tariffs of up to 50 per cent on Indian goods and its warning of further hikes. “The United States imposed tariffs of up to 50 per cent on India, and even threatened to impose more. China fully opposes it,” Xu said, as quoted by news agency PTI. He cautioned that tariff and trade wars were disrupting the global economic and trade order.
“The US has long benefited greatly from free trade but now uses tariffs as bargaining chips to demand exorbitant prices from various countries. The US imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India and has even threatened for more. China firmly opposes it. In the face of such acts, silence only emboldens the bully. China will firmly stand with India to uphold the multilateral trading system with the world trade,” he said, as per news agency ANI.
#WATCH | China’s ambassador to India, Xu Feihong says, “…US has imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India and even threatened for more. China firmly opposes it. Silence only emboldens the bully. China will firmly stand with India .” pic.twitter.com/0iMehF2K6e
— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2025
Xu also underlined China’s willingness to work with India and other countries to ensure the SCO Summit delivers “friendship, solidarity, and fruitful outcomes,” declaring, “Together, we can open a new chapter of a dragon-elephant tango.”
Chinese Envoy On Call for Trust and Unity In India-China Ties
In another address, Xu stressed the need for deeper trust between the two neighbours. “China and India should enhance strategic mutual trust, and avoid mutual suspicion. Both countries are partners, not rivals. We should manage differences through dialogue,” he said, according to news agency ANI.
Highlighting the broader importance of the bilateral relationship, Xu added, “For two neighbouring countries of such size, unity and cooperation are the only way to achieve common development…China and India’s friendship benefits Asia…We are the double engines of economic growth in Asia…India and China unity benefits the world at large. India and China have the responsibility to take the lead in promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world.”
He noted that the world was experiencing its most profound transformation since World War II, adding that “China-India cooperation benefits both countries” as they stood at “the critical stage of national rejuvenation.” Xu also pointed to progress in people-to-people exchanges, including the resumption of Indian pilgrimages to Kailash Mansarovar and India’s decision to resume issuing tourist visas for Chinese citizens.
PM Modi’s SCO Visit Very Important Event For Ties: Chinese Envoy
Xu expressed optimism about Prime Minister Modi’s forthcoming visit to Tianjin for the SCO Summit on August 31–September 1, terming it “a very important event not only for the SCO but for the bilateral relationship between the two countries.” He said a working group from both sides was preparing to ensure its success.
The visit follows Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent trip to India, during which he met Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Wang conveyed President Xi Jinping’s invitation to the SCO Summit and shared a positive assessment of his talks with Indian leaders.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed China’s presidency of the summit and reiterated India’s commitment to a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question.” In a post on X, he wrote, “Glad to meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Since my meeting with President Xi in Kazan last year, India-China relations have made steady progress guided by respect for each other’s interests and sensitivities. I look forward to our next meeting in Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit.”
Ten-Point Consensus on Boundary Talks
Xu detailed outcomes from Wang Yi’s discussions in India, including consensus on ten points related to the boundary question. Two new groups will be formed — one for boundary delimitation into appropriate sectors, and another for better border management. He noted, “We should not define the border issue as relationship between our two countries. The border issue is on one side, and cooperation between India and China is on the other side.”
Among the agreements were reopening traditional border trading markets, advancing dialogue on trans-border rivers, and setting up new mechanisms for military-level consultations in the eastern and middle sectors. Both sides agreed to maintain peace and tranquillity along the frontier, while continuing friendly consultations to work towards a mutually acceptable settlement.
