China Stresses Unity With India To 'Overcome Difficulties' Amid Trump's 'Abuse' Of Tariffs

Last Updated:April 08, 2025, 22:54 IST

These remarks by the Chinese embassy in India came after an escalating trade war between the US and China, wherein Donald Trump has threatened to imposed 104% tariffs.

China stressed "complementarity" and "mutual benefit" in ties with India amid a trade war with the US. (File Image)

The sweeping tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, followed by counter-tariffs by China, have plunged global markets into turmoil and sparked a global trade war. While China continues to resist US tariffs, it has also turned to India to “stand together" in overcoming difficulties.

Trade tensions between the US and China escalated sharply over days of turmoil after Trump imposed 34% reciprocal tariffs on Chinese goods, to which Beijing responded with 34% counter-tariffs on global markets. Annoyed, Trump promised additional 50% tariffs if China does not withdraw its retaliation plans.

Criticising the US move, Yu Jing, the spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in India, said China’s economy was underpinned by a system that ensures steady growth and the country is a strong defender of economic globalisation and multilateralism, contributing to 30% of global growth on average.

“China-India economic and trade relationship is based on complementarity and mutual benefit. Facing the US abuse of tariffs, which deprives countries, especially Global South countries, of their right to development, the two largest developing countries should stand together to overcome the difficulties," she said in a statement.

Yu further said that all countries should uphold the principles of extensive consultation, practice true multilateralism, jointly oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism, adding that trade and tariff wars have no winners.

US-China Trade War Escalates

Trump had slapped 10% import duties on all nations and far higher levies on imports from dozens of specific countries, including 26% tariffs on Indian exports. However, India does not plan to hit back with tariffs and is working towards a mutually beneficial India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement.

However, the trade war between the US and China escalated sharply as Trump announced a sweeping 104% tariff on all goods imported from China, with the measure set to take effect at midnight on Tuesday, April 8, the White House confirmed.

Trump’s team said the decision is aimed at “leveling the playing field" as the President, over the past few weeks, accused nations across the world of “looting the US" with tariffs on American exports.

On Monday, Trump slammed China for ignoring previous warnings against issuing retaliatory tariffs, saying that any action would be met with “immediate and substantially higher" tariffs. He also said all talks with China will be terminated and negotiations will be done with other countries instead.

China accused the United States of “blackmailing" Beijing with the renewed tariff threat, saying it was making “a mistake on top of a mistake". China said it is fully prepared to counter Washington’s tariffs, saying that it has continued to develop and progress since the first trade war with the US during Trump’s first term.

The additional 34% tariffs on a 20% rate imposed on China last month brought the total additional tariffs on imports from the world’s second-largest economy by the Trump administration to 54%. China previously responded to US tariffs with levies of up to 15 percent on a range of US agricultural goods, including soybeans, pork and chicken.

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