Give the bully an inch, and he will...: Chinese envoy slams 50% US tariffs on India
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India calls US tariffs 'unjustified'
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India and Brazil have both found themselves hit with a steep 50% tariff from the United States, triggering criticism not just at home but also from China.On Thursday, Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, made a blunt statement on social media platform X, saying, 'Give the bully an inch, and he will take a mile.'His remark came a day after US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on India, raising the total to 50%, specifically targeting India's trade with Russia.Xu's post also included a quote from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's conversation with Celso Amorim, chief adviser to Brazilian President Lula da Silva. It read, 'Using tariffs as a weapon to suppress other countries violates the UN Charter, undermines WTO rules and is both unpopular and unsustainable.'The timing and tone were clear. China, which has often clashed with the US on trade, is now aligning itself rhetorically with India and Brazil.India has pushed back firmly. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, 'The United States has in recent days targeted India's oil imports from Russia. We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India.'It added, 'It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest. We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable. India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests.'According to data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CERA), a Finland-based research body, China bought 47% of Russia's crude oil in June 2025, followed by India at 38%. Türkiye and the EU each accounted for 6%. Yet, only India and Brazil are facing direct tariff penalties.During the same phone call quoted by Xu, Foreign Minister Wang Yi had expressed strong opposition to the US strategy, without naming it directly.Wang said China 'firmly supports' Brazil in 'resisting the bullying practices of arbitrary tariffs' and stressed that such measures violate both the UN Charter and the rules of the WTO.Brazil's Celso Amorim, however, was more direct. He thanked China and called the US's actions 'disruptive' and 'intrusive.'The message from both sides was unmistakable, countries seen as acting in their national interest are being unfairly punished.Following the tariff announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Lula da Silva spoke by phone. Lula later said they discussed 'the imposition of unilateral tariffs' by the US.However, the Indian government's official release did not mention tariffs.President Lula has been vocal in calling for a unified response from BRICS nations. Speaking about Trump's approach, he said, 'What President Trump is doing is tacit, he wants to dismantle multilateralism.'Trump, speaking at a White House news conference, didn't rule out similar penalties for China, saying, 'It may happen, I don't know, I can't tell you yet, we did it with India and we are doing it probably with a couple of others, one of them could be China.'The threat comes even as Washington's own 145% tariffs on Chinese goods remain suspended under a temporary truce. That pause is due to expire on 12 August.Earlier this year, China had capped its retaliatory tariffs at 125%. At the time, its government warned:'Even if the US further raises tariffs to even higher levels, it would be economically meaningless and would ultimately become a laughingstock in the history of global economics.'Despite the tough talk, Trump has said he plans to meet President Xi Jinping later this year to work on a broader trade agreement.Behind the tariff clash lies a deeper breakdown. India was once expected to be among the first to sign a trade deal with Trump's team. But after five rounds of negotiations, the talks fell apart.The sticking points? India refused to fully open its dairy and agriculture markets, and stood firm on continuing to buy discounted Russian oil. That's where the fracture began.Despite tensions with Washington, India is strengthening ties elsewhere. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin from 31 August to 1 September.He is expected to meet both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.This will be Modi's first trip to China since the deadly Galwan Valley clash in 2020. His last visit was in 2019.India-China ties have recently shown signs of normalisation following the disengagement in eastern Ladakh. The SCO visit could be a sign of a shifting strategic balance.India, China, and Brazil are among the top importers of Russian oil . Yet, only some are being punished. That inconsistency has not gone unnoticed.With Trump's tariffs turning more aggressive, and global alliances in flux, countries are beginning to respond, some more quietly than others.The message from New Delhi, Beijing, and Brazil seems to be this: national interest isn't up for negotiation.
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