India has found unexpected support in its ongoing trade conflict with the United States, as China openly criticised US tariffs on Indian goods. Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, slammed the White House’s move to double tariffs on Indian products to 50%, calling the US a "bully."

“Give the bully an inch, he will take a mile,” Xu said, without naming former US President Donald Trump directly. His comment is seen as a show of solidarity with India and Brazil, both of which have been hit with the harshest US tariffs, 50%, among the highest imposed on any American trade partner.

Xu’s remarks echoed those of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who recently spoke with Brazilian presidential adviser Celso Amorim. During the call, Wang criticised the use of tariffs as a tool to suppress other nations. Though he didn’t name the US, Wang said such tactics go against the UN Charter and World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. He also expressed strong support for Brazil in resisting what he called “bullying practices of arbitrary tariffs” and showed confidence in the BRICS alliance, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, as a platform for closer cooperation among developing countries.

In response, Amorim openly thanked China and criticised the US, calling its tariff policy “disruptive” and “intrusive.” India, too, has strongly objected to Trump’s tariff move. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the decision as “extremely unfortunate,” “unfair,” and “unjustified.” The move came as a penalty for India’s continued purchase of oil from Russia. Trump signed an executive order that imposed an initial 25% tariff on Indian goods, with another 25% to follow later this month.

Adding to the diplomatic tensions, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He later revealed that the two discussed the recent US tariffs and the importance of resisting such unilateral trade measures. However, India’s official statement on the conversation did not mention any talk of tariffs. President Lula has been urging unity among BRICS nations and criticised Trump’s trade policies, saying, “What President Trump is doing is tacit, he wants to dismantle multilateralism.”

Meanwhile, India-China relations are showing signs of improvement. Following the resolution of the military standoff in eastern Ladakh, Prime Minister Modi is set to visit Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. This will be his first visit to China since the Galwan Valley clash in 2020 and his first since 2019.

Interestingly, while Trump has imposed strict tariffs on India and Brazil, a 145% US tariff on Chinese goods remains suspended under a temporary truce. This agreement between the US and China was meant to keep trade negotiations on track, but it is set to expire on August 12. The contrast has raised questions about Washington’s selective trade tactics.