Amid escalating trade tensions, China's Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, has openly criticized former US President Donald Trump's recent tariff hikes on Indian goods. On August 7, 2025, Xu posted on X, stating, "Give the bully an inch, he will take a mile,". This remark followed Trump's decision to increase tariffs on India to 50% in response to India's continued purchase of Russian oil. The tariff includes a 25% penalty tariff on New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, in addition to a previous "reciprocal" levy announced the week before.
The Chinese envoy's statement is viewed by some as a show of support for countries like India and Brazil, who are facing the brunt of Trump's trade policies. Brazil is also facing a 50% US tariff, which is among the highest imposed on any American trade partner. Xu's comment also referenced a phone call between China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Celso Amorim, a senior foreign policy advisor to the Brazilian president, Lula da Silva. During the call, Wang Yi, without directly naming the US, condemned the use of tariffs "as a weapon to suppress other countries" as a violation of the UN Charter and World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. He said that such measures are "unpopular and unsustainable". Wang Yi affirmed China's support for Brazil in "resisting the bullying practices of arbitrary tariffs" and encouraged the use of the BRICS grouping to promote unity among developing countries. Amorim thanked China for its support and explicitly criticized Washington's "disruptive" and "intrusive" tariffs.
The Indian government has expressed strong disapproval of the increased tariffs, describing them as "extremely unfortunate", "unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable". This situation unfolds against a backdrop of gradually improving relations between India and China following the end of the military standoff in eastern Ladakh nine months prior. Both countries are reportedly engaged in discussions regarding a potential visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China by the end of August.
Trump's recent actions have sparked outrage from political parties and the public in India, a country considered a strategic partner of the United States. Trump has also hinted at the possibility of imposing similar tariffs on China for its continued purchase of Russian oil. He stated that discussions were underway regarding tariffs for "a couple of others, one of them could be China". India, China, and Turkey are currently the top three importers of Russian oil.
This is not the first time that the US and China have been embroiled in trade disputes. Earlier in the year, the two countries were engaged in a tariff war, with the US raising tariffs up to 145%. While those tariffs remain suspended under a temporary truce, it is set to expire on August 12.
