Desk: U.S. President Donald Trump issued a direct ultimatum to China on Tuesday, significantly escalating the ongoing trade tensions. In response, China appears to be seeking closer ties with India. The Chinese government has stated that, in order to counter Trump’s tariff measures, India and China should unite.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India, Yu Jing, posted on the social media platform X on Tuesday, emphasizing that India and China need to come together to overcome the challenges posed by the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
“The economic and trade relations between China and India are based on complementarity and mutual benefit. The U.S. is abusing its tariff measures. To counter this, the world’s two largest developing countries must stand together,” Yu Jing wrote.
Earlier, on Monday, President Trump had once again issued a stern warning to China. He gave Beijing an ultimatum: if China does not roll back its retaliatory tariff plans, the U.S. would impose up to an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports. This came after Trump’s announcement of an additional 34% tariff, which prompted a tit-for-tat response from China, imposing the same tariff rate on U.S. goods. Trump has given China until April 8 to reverse its decision.
Despite mounting pressure, China appears to be holding its ground. On Tuesday, Beijing responded to Trump’s ultimatum by stating that it strongly opposes the U.S. move. A statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce said, “The U.S. is once again repeating its mistakes by threatening to raise tariffs. This shows its tendency to use coercive pressure.”
Amid the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, China seems to be looking to India as a strategic partner. Recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping marked 75 years of strategic partnership between India and China by calling for stronger ties and deeper friendship between the two nations.