China on Thursday, i.e., August 14, stated that India and Beijing are two important members of the Global South and that a “cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant” is the right choice for both sides, per a report by the Global Times.
The two Asian countries have seemingly been on the same front since US President Donald Trump started weaponising tariffs to target nations.
India and China have been on President Trump’s radar for their business with Russia — which Trump plans to bring to the negotiation tables on the ongoing war with Ukraine. Back in April, the US and China had a brief trade war with Washington raising tariffs to 145 percent.
However, Beijing had capped the tariff at 125 percent, saying, “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”.
‘Will impose additional tariffs on India if…’
On Wednesday, the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the Trump Administration may impose secondary tariffs on India if the upcoming meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin does not go well.
“We’ve put secondary tariffs on Indians for buying Russian oil. And I could see, if things don’t go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up,” Bessent said. Trump recently imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods and an extra 25 per cent tariff on Russian oil and weapons brought by India, accusing India of indirectly funding the war in Ukraine.