China wants a ‘Pas de Deux’ with India — calls cooperation ‘right choice for both’ – India News

China has said that Beijing and New Delhi are two important members of the Global South and major developing countries, and supporting each other to succeed is “the right choice for both sides”. Answering a question on developing India-China ties amid challenges New Delhi is facing with the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said that the “dance between dragon and elephant” is the most apt choice for both the Asian countries, reported Chinese media, Global Times.

Both India and China have been at the receiving end of Trump’s sweeping tariffs on different occasion. Initially, when Trump announced the tariffs on April 2, he released a chart with percentage of duties on imports from different countries. China was hit hard.

Beijing responded with its own tariffs on the US goods, followed by rounds of duties imposed on both sides by each other. At one time, the tariffs on Chinese goods entering US reached 105% and the vice-versa stood at over 80%. 

Recently, Trump said it was difficult to enter certain areas of businesses in India and imposed a 25% tariffs on Indian imports. He later added a 25% tariffs as penalty on New Delhi for buying discounted Russian oil. The combined tariff of 50% will get effective from August 27.

Chinese media backs India against Trump’s tariffs

Recently in an article titled ‘India’s strategic balancing hits the wall of US unilateral hegemony’, a Chinese tabloid argued that India is being punished not for buying Russian oil, but for not doing what the US wants. It suggested that the US only considers India a close partner as long as it follows American interests.

The moment India takes an independent stand, it becomes less valuable to the US. The piece also hinted that, in America’s eyes, India may never have been treated as an equal partner, just someone to use when convenient. “Perhaps, to the US, India may have never been a guest at the table – only an item on the menu,” the article read.

The article went on to say that in recent years, India has tried to keep a balance in geopolitics. It added that New Delhi joined the groups like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which support a world with more than one powerful country.

The statement from Chinese foreign ministry comes at a time when their Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit India next week for high-level talks with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, according to several reports.

Wang and Doval serve as the special representatives of China and India, respectively, tasked with addressing long-standing boundary issues between the two nations.