What happened?
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong on August 21st, 2025 said that Beijing “fully opposes” Washington’s move to impose tariffs of up to 50 per cent on India. Speaking at an event at the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi, Feihong criticised tariff and trade “wars,” noting that such measures are disrupting the global economic and trade system. His remarks come just days after India and China unveiled a set of measures to build a “stable, cooperative and forward-looking” relationship, including maintaining peace along the border, reopening frontier trade, resuming direct flights, and promoting investment flows.
Why it matters to India
The statement underscores China’s alignment with India against Washington’s rising protectionist measures. The Chinese envoy’s remarks highlight Beijing’s willingness to position itself as a partner in cooperating with India, while also reinforcing the recent thaw in bilateral ties. With both nations set to participate in the upcoming SCO Summit in Tianjin, the Chinese envoy’s call for a “dragon-elephant tango” signals an intent to deepen cooperation and strengthen Asia’s role in shaping the global economic order.