'Give the bully an inch, he will take a mile': China backs India amid Trump's tariff onslaught

US President Donald Trump has ruled out the possibility of trade negotiations with India, until the issue of tariffs is resolved.

China's Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, has backed New Delhi amid a tariff onslaught on India by US President Donald Trump, despite frosty relations between the two Asian giants.

In a post on social media platform X, Feihong has said, "Give the bully an inch, he will take a mile."

He also shared a quote, "Using tariffs as a weapon to suppress other countries violates the UN Charter, undermines WTO rules and is both unpopular and unsustainable," which is an excerpt from the talks between China's foreign minister Wang Yi and Brazil President Lula's chief advisor, Celso Amorim.

Besides Feihong, the Chinese Embassy spokesperson Yu Jing recently shared an article from the state-backed publication Global Times, which slams the West's alleged "who will replace whom" between India and China. She says, "In today's complex landscape, it makes far more sense for both nations to deepen trust, manage disagreements, foster consensus, widen cooperation, and promote peace in Asia and globally."

In another editorial, Global Times highlights that China and India now account for more than one-third of the global population, and their growing economies as well as global influence are "on the rise".

"At this crucial juncture, the trajectory of China-India relations carries even more reasons to capture global attention," the Global Times states.

It has also slammed some "Western media outlets" for having interpreted Modi's planned visit to Beijing for the SCO summit as India's attempt "to hedge against" the US. It states that China does not see its cooperation with India as something "aimed at any third party".

"If Modi's visit to China this time can be made, it will provide a broader platform for cooperation between China and India," the publication states.

Trump rules out trade negotiations

Amid all tis, Trump has ruled out the possibility of continuing trade negotiations with India, until the issue of tariffs is resolved.

“No, not until we get it resolved,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Thursday in response to a question on whether he expects increased trade negotiations with India since he has announced 50 per cent tariffs on the country. Last week, Trump had announced 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India that came into effect from August 7.

The US president also signed an executive order slapping an additional 25 per cent levy on India for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total duties to 50 per cent, among the highest imposed by the US on any country in the world.

With PTI inputs