China and India team economically in retaliation to tariffs from Washington

The People's Republic of China and India, two powers once on opposing sides because of economic competition and border disputes in Jammu and Kashmir among other small land conflicts, have seemed to rekindle their love-hate relationship as a retaliatory move to American tariff policies hitting both nations similarly.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (left) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) photographed during a bilateral summit.

On the Chinese, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 164% average tariff rate on many Chinese goods, but in May this year trade negotiations resulted in tariffs dropping to 30% in return for China lowering its respective tariff rate on American goods to 10%. On August, the U.S. extended increasing Chinese tariffs later until November 9th, but at the same time holding the still lofty 30% tariff rate.

India's tariff rate started much more mildly than China because of the closer relationship it has with the United States. In April, a 26% tariff was introduced on a broad range of goods, and a reduced 25% tariff was enacted on July. Then, on August, the U.S. announced an additional 25% tariff, bringing the total tariff rate to 50% or about $48.2 billion in Indian exports. These tariffs have affected industries like textiles, chemicals, gems, and food.

The two nations previously had a rocky relationship with fierce economic competition for international trade dominance and border disputes. During the brief 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, China supplied Pakistan with 44 satellites as an indirect form of aid against the Indians. But, both are members of the anti-American BRICS economic cooperative.

The shared experience between the two nations of having U.S. tariffs has led them to get closer recently and affirming their membership in BRICS.

Wang Yi, the top diplomat of China, stated recently that India and China should view themselves as "partners" rather than "adversaries or threats," arriving to Delhi in a diplomatic mission. He later affirmed that relations are now on a "positive trend" toward cooperation, according to BBC News.

Wang met with Indian PM Narendra Modi, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Topics discussed included resolving their border disputes and economic cooperation.

"We are happy to share that stability has now been restored at the borders," Wang stated following his meeting with Doval.

India has been recently attacked by the Trump administration for continuing to trade oil with Russia, and as Trade Advisor Peter Navarro put it, "cozying up to both Russia and China."