Amid rising trade tensions with Washington, China on Tuesday urged India to join hands in resisting what it called the “US abuse of tariffs”, after President Donald Trump announced a steep hike, raising cumulative tariffs on Chinese imports to 104 per cent.
Yu Jing, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in India, took aim at the United States’ tariff actions, saying China’s steady economic growth, innovation, and robust manufacturing base have created positive spillovers for the rest of the world.
“China’s economy is underpinned by a system that ensures steady growth, and produces positive spillovers. Chinese manufacturing is built on a complete and continually upgrading industrial system, sustained investment in R&D, and a strong focus on innovation. China is a firm defender of economic globalization and multilateralism, which has injected strong impetus into the world economy, contributing to around 30 percent of global growth annually on average. We will continue to work with the rest of the world to safeguard the multilateral trade system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core,” Yu Jing wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
She also mentioned that India and China, as the two largest developing nations, should stand together against US tariff actions, calling their trade ties complementary and mutually beneficial.
“China-India economic and trade relationship is based on complimentarity and mutual benefit. Facing the U.S. abuse of tariffs, which deprives countries, especially Global South countries, of their right to development, the two largest developing countries should stand together to overcome the difficulties. Trade and tariff wars have no winners. All countries should uphold the principles of extensive consultation, practice true multilateralism, jointly oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism,” she added.
What led to the US-China trade war escalation?
A full-blown trade conflict between the United States and China appeared imminent on Tuesday as President Donald Trump moved ahead with a fresh set of tariffs targeting multiple trading partners.
Since Trump’s return to the White House, the cumulative duties on Chinese goods will now touch 104 per cent.
The sharp increase follows a retaliatory move from Beijing but Trump showed no signs of backing down, even as major US stock indices registered another day of losses on Tuesday.
Trump maintains that his tariff policy is aimed at reviving domestic manufacturing by encouraging companies to shift their operations back to American soil.
However, several economists and industry experts remain sceptical, warning that such moves could drive up inflation and burden consumers with higher prices.
Despite the concerns, Trump defended the strategy on Tuesday, claiming, “The United States was taking in almost $2 billion a day” from tariffs.
