India, China should firmly oppose any form of tariff, trade wars: Chinese envoy

China and India should firmly oppose hegemony, power politics, and any form of tariff or trade wars, Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong said on Tuesday amid New Delhi’s frosty ties with the Trump administration following its decision to double levies on Indian goods to 50 per cent.

In an address at an event, Xu outlined a four-point approach to advancing relations between India and China, which included finding the “right way” to coexist in the spirit of mutual respect and trust.

He stressed that the boundary question should not be allowed to define the current state of relations and called for expanding bilateral trade, which, he said, has “great potential.”

The envoy’s remarks came more than three weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

Over the past few months, both sides have initiated a series of measures to reset ties that had come under severe strain following the deadly clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in June 2020.

Speaking at the event marking the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Xu said it was important for India and China to “firmly oppose hegemony, power politics and any form of tariff and trade wars,” while jointly defending the interests of the Global South and building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Referring to the Modi-Xi talks, the envoy said China was ready to work with India to follow the “guidance of the important common understandings between our two leaders” and advance ties on the path of “sound and stable development.”

“As two major ancient civilisations and large developing countries, the relationship between China and India has transcended bilateral scope and bears global and strategic significance,” Xu said.

He added that the two sides should “aim high, plan for the long term, and find the right way to get along with each other in the spirit of mutual respect and trust, peaceful coexistence, common development and win-win cooperation.”

Xu noted that China-India economic and trade cooperation continues to grow. “From January to August this year, bilateral trade in goods grew 10.4 per cent year-on-year to USD 102 billion,” he said, adding that both countries could work together to strengthen cooperation in multiple fields and create a “bigger pie” of common interests.

He also said the Chinese embassy and consulates in India issued more than 2,65,000 visas to Indian citizens as of September 22. “We are ready to advance friendly exchanges with India at all levels and in all sectors, and further deepen mutual understanding and friendship,” Xu said.

The envoy stressed that bridging differences through dialogue has always been key to advancing China-India relations. “We should carry forward the five principles of peaceful coexistence, and truly respect each other’s core interests and major concerns. We should not allow the boundary question, left over from the past, to define current China-India relations, nor let specific differences affect comprehensive bilateral cooperation,” he said.

During their Tianjin meeting, Modi and Xi signalled a tactical embrace by focusing on boosting economic ties at a time when India is experiencing perhaps the worst phase in its relations with the United States, further strained by President Donald Trump’s tariff policy.