4 days ago
How China, its media reacted to India-US tariff row: ‘Dragon and elephant dancing together'
The old saying "दुश्मन का दुश्मन दोस्त होता है [the enemy of my enemy is my friend]" seems to make sense when looking at India, China, and the US today. With both India and China sharing concerns about the US, they may seem closer than before.
Recently, US President Donald Trump doubled the US tariffs on imported Indian goods to 50 per cent, penalising India for buying oil from Russia. China, another big purchaser of Russian oil, faces over 50 per cent tariffs (including reciprocal tariffs, fentanyl trade-related tariffs, and other levies).
Trump's salvo, which started with China as the target, is now on course to "single" out India over Russian purchases. This has prompted speculation that New Delhi may now shift its approach towards China. Many even believe that China has softened its stance towards India.
Until now, India's ties with the US were seen through China prism.
But is this really the case? Is India finding an "unlikely ally" in China? Several opinion pieces and the tone of Chinese media can offer some insight into this aspect. Here we dissect what Chinese media is saying about the US's additional 25% tariff on India.
Apart from the tariff threats, what has grabbed attention in India, China, and the US is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected visit to China — the "first in seven years" if reports hold true.
The news has sparked debate about whether "the US is now pushing India into the arms of China." Back in April-- when Trump had first announced reciprocal tariffs, the Washington Post had reported: 'India edges closer to China, hedging against Trump's unpredictability.'
In a March article, think tank Modern Diplomacy analysed the India-US-China ties, claiming that 'Trump is not the reason for the reconciliation between China and India, but he has become a cheerleader for their renewed friendship.'
Meanwhile, US magazine The Diplomat recently commented on the India-China ties, saying, 'The trend in the past decade has seen the two neighbours [India and China] embracing each other and then falling out... the time has come again for them to explore yet another round of engagement.'
A report in China's state media, Global Times, noted that "some Western media outlets have interpreted Modi's visit as an attempt to 'hedge against' the US." It, however, contended that "such a view is rather one-sided."
Several Chinese media articles highlighted "long-standing friendly exchanges" — and not long-standing disputes — between India and China.
One article even tried to explain the "deepening cooperation" between India and China through the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting and potential PM Modi's presence with a Hindu proverb that says, "Help your brother's boat across, and your own will reach the shore."
The author of the opinion piece welcomed PM Modi to China "with genuine intentions to improve bilateral ties and pragmatic cooperation plans, and to jointly usher in a new chapter of 'the dragon and the elephant dancing together.'
A Global Times report on August 7 cited an analyst as saying that India's illusion that the US would treat it with exceptional favour was shattered.
"Now, it seems this illusion has been shattered. India comes to realise that the two nations are not in the equal partnership India had previously imagined," Xie Chao, an assistant professor of Indian studies at Tsinghua University, was quoted as saying.
Another report by the Chinese media outlet focused on "reviving China-Russia-India trilateral cooperation [RIC]". It "must transcend symbolism," the report read.
It argued that "for all three [nations], it represents a strategic opportunity to unite against external sanctions pressure, reaffirm foreign policy autonomy and advance a multipolar order."
The report noted that the "key" to restarting RIC lies with India, presenting both the primary challenge and opportunity."
The Chinese foreign ministry criticised Trump's tariffs against India, saying, 'China's opposition to the abuse of tariffs is consistent and clear.'
Meanwhile, China's Ambassador to India Xu Feihong took potshot at the US. "Give the bully an inch, he will take a mile," he said in a post on X.
India and China have often engaged in long-standing disputes over border, and Beijing's presence in the Indian Ocean region (IOR). The India-China ties hit a low in 2020 after the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh's Galwan Valley.
However, reports about PM Modi's visit to China for the multilateral Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet are seen as a sign of a diplomatic thaw with Beijing as tensions with the US rise. It also sparked hopes of reconciliation and improved bilateral ties.
However, neither Indian nor Chinese officials confirmed PM Modi's visit.
Since June this year, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar have visited China, exhibiting diplomatic engagement rarely seen in recent years.
