In a direct and fiery jab at former US President Donald Trump, China’s Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, has accused Washington of using tariffs as a weapon to bully other nations — India included.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Feihong didn’t mince words. He wrote, “If you give a bully an inch, he’ll take a mile.” The remark, laced with old-school wisdom, came amid rising global criticism of America’s aggressive tariff policies, especially targeting nations like India, China, and Brazil.
⚠️ Tariffs as a Weapon? China Thinks So
In his post, Feihong referred to a recent diplomatic dialogue between China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Brazil’s top presidential adviser Celso Amorim, highlighting a shared concern — the US’s misuse of tariffs to pressure other nations.
According to him, the use of trade tariffs as a political tool goes directly against the principles of the United Nations Charter and WTO norms. His post boldly stated: “This is not a sustainable way to function in the international order.”
🇮🇳 India in the Crosshairs Too?
Interestingly, India was expected to sign a tariff deal with the US, but after five rounds of negotiations, the talks fell apart. Why? New Delhi reportedly refused to open up its agriculture and dairy sectors to American interests — and also stood firm against the US demand to stop importing oil from Russia.
As a result, Trump’s administration slapped additional tariffs on Indian goods, citing oil purchases from Moscow as the primary reason. That same warning now looms over China too — pushing both Asian giants into a rare zone of shared interest.
🤝 India-China: From Conflict to Common Ground?
Now here’s where it gets interesting. The Trump-led tariff pressure may ironically be doing something that was unthinkable a few years ago — pushing India and China onto the same side of the global trade conversation.
And it’s not just talk — Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China at the end of August, and this sharp statement by Feihong, just ahead of the trip, could be a strategic olive branch.
After all, both India and China are top buyers of Russian oil, and both are facing unilateral tariff threats from the US. Could this common pressure push the neighbours to dial down their differences — at least on the trade front?
🧠 A Bigger Game at Play?
Let’s not forget — Trump’s “America First” policy has never sat well with global trade norms. But if these renewed tensions lead to closer cooperation between India and China, it could be a diplomatic game-changer in the region.
Then again, with elections in the US and shifting global alliances, who’s playing whom in this tariff chessboard remains to be seen.
