‘Silence emboldens the bully’: Chinese envoy on US tariffs on India

Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong on Thursday described the United States’ punitive tariffs on India an act of bullying, and said that Beijing would “firmly stand” with New Delhi against unfair trade practices, The Hindu reported.

“The United States has long benefited greatly from free trade, but now it is using tariffs as a bargaining chip to demand exorbitant prices from various countries,” Feihong said at an event in Delhi.

“In the face of such acts, silence or compromise only emboldens the bully,” he added. “China will firmly stand with India to uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core.”

#WATCH | China's ambassador to India, Xu Feihong says, "...US has imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India and even threatened for more. China firmly opposes it. Silence only emboldens the bully. China will firmly stand with India ." pic.twitter.com/0iMehF2K6e— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2025

His comments come ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other regional leaders.

The Chinese envoy said the developments pose an opportunity for India and China to close ranks and build “strategic mutual trust”, moving beyond their longstanding rivalry, The New Indian Express reported.

“India and China are not rivals, we are partners,” Feihong...

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