E-Paper
‘Give the bully an inch, he will…’: Chinese ambassador after Donald Trump's 50% US tariff on India
Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong slammed US President Trump after new tariffs on Indian goods, calling him a "bully".
Chinese ambassador to New Delhi Xu Feihong on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump, a day after the latter imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods over India's continued oil trade with Russia, taking the total duty to 50 per cent.
Taking a sharp swipe at Donald Trump, Xu Feihong called him a "bully" and posted on social media X.
"Give the bully an inch, he will take a mile," the envoy wrote without mentioning any name.
He also shared a snippet from a recent phone call between Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and the Brazilian president's chief advisor.
In the conversation, Yi reportedly said that using tariffs to suppress other nations violates the UN charter and weakens the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Successive US administrations have seen India as a key partner that has like-minded interests with regard to China.
India and China are intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia.
According to reports, Modi might visit long-time rival China in late August. The trip has not been confirmed by officials, but it would be his first visit to China since 2018.
Modi and China's President Xi Jinping last met in Russia in October 2024.
The cumulative tariffs — higher than not just those for India’s export rivals such as Vietnam, but also China — could cut outbound shipments to the US by 60% and shave about a percentage point from GDP, estimates Bloomberg Economics. The Reserve Bank of India sees the economy expanding 6.5% in fiscal 2026 — same as last year and way below the average 8% growth seen before that.
“The overall hit to GDP could be even higher at 1.1% over the medium term” once tariffs on sectors such as pharmaceuticals and electronics are announced, wrote analysts Chetna Kumar and Adam Farrar.
Analysts see the new levies effective in 21 days, hitting exports from labour-intensive sectors such as gems and jewellery, textiles and footwear, potentially halting business in these goods. The move is also expected to force India to actively scout for alternative markets.
New Delhi called the move “unfair, unjustified,” blasting Trump for singling out India when other countries are also buying oil from Moscow.
