"Silence Only Emboldens The Bully": Chinese Envoy To India On Trump Tariffs

Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong on Thursday accused the US of behaving like a "bully" and said that while the country always benefited from free trade, is now using tariffs as "bargaining chips".

Speaking at an event organised by independent think tank Chintan Research Foundation (CRF) he said that "China will firmly stand with India", asserting that the two countries are double engines of economic growth in Asia.

"US has long benefited greatly from free trade but now uses tariffs as bargain chips to demand exorbitant prices from various countries. The US imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India, and has even threatened for more. China firmly opposes it. In the face of such acts, silence only emboldens the bully. China will firmly stand with India to uphold the multilateral trading system with the world trade," he said.

#WATCH | China's ambassador to India, Xu Feihong says, "...US has imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India and even threatened for more. China firmly opposes it. Silence only emboldens the bully. China will firmly stand with India ." pic.twitter.com/0iMehF2K6e

— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2025

He said that the international order is going through a big change, which is why, China and India as major developing countries, should be united and cooperate with each other. "China and India's friendship benefits Asia. We are the double engines of economic growth in Asia. India and China unity benefits the world at large", the envoy said.

Xu Feihong also stated that it is essential for the two South-Asian nations to cooperate in order to maintain global stability. "India and China have the responsibility to take the lead in promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world...", he said.

China remains one of the largest trading partners of India, with 127.7 billion USD of bilateral trade in FY2025. pic.twitter.com/QnOlNosGcw

— Xu Feihong (@China_Amb_India) August 21, 2025

Speaking about trade, he said that all Indian commodities are welcome to enter the Chinese market and that both the countries should enhance "strategic mutual trust" and "avoid mutual suspicion", adding "Both countries are partners, not rivals. We should manage differences through dialogue..."

"We'll welcome more Indian goods to enter the Chinese market. India has a competitive edge in IT, software and biomedicine, while the Chinese see a rapid expansion in the fields of electronic manufacturing, infrastructure construction and new energy," said Feihong.

"If connected, the two major markets will produce an effect of one plus one bigger than two," he added.

The remarks by the Chinese Ambassador comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during his visit to Delhi.

PM Modi is also expected to be in China later this year for the SCO leaders' meeting.