US President’s anti-India tirade on tariff and Russian oil dependence, and pivot to neighbouring Pakistan could have an unexpected aftermath: India adopting a conciliatory approach towards China. The signs are already there with a visible thaw in India-China relations.
Trump’s chiding of India’s import of Russian oil and his acerbic remark about ‘dead economy have ruffled New Delhi, but the Centre remains defiant. India’s decision to continue importing Russian oil has been cheered by Chinese state-backed media ‘Global Times’, which ran a piece about India’s “independent foreign policy.”
A report published in the Chinese mouthpiece quoted Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, who said India's purchase of Russian oil is based on certain economic considerations and will not be abandoned due to US pressure. “India is an oil-deficient nation, and Russian oil offers the advantages of being cost-effective and high-quality, enabling India to secure its petroleum reserves and provide robust safeguards for its economic development,” Qian added.
It also quoted Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who said India’s decisions embodied its adherence to an independent foreign policy. "Trump's tariffs have inflicted heavy blows on various nations; rather than awaiting doom passively, it is better to stand firm to mitigate losses," Lü said, adding that every country has the right to safeguard its legitimate interests, and Brazil and India are acting on this principle.
“Trump administration now treats tariffs as a "panacea' for all the difficulties it confronts, yet reality tells a different story,” he said.
The piece also carried Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Varanasi, where he urged Indians to prioritize locally made products. It also observed that if the US persisted in applying unilateral pressure on India, it may prompt India to reassess its foreign policy.
India’s stance
Though regional observers are optimistic that the equations could reverse in due course as India remains a valuable partner for the US in the region, Trump’s statement has pushed India to adopt a flexible strategy toward China. Many believe it is unsustainable for India to take on China with an unreliable partner like Donald Trump, who has openly criticised India’s foreign policy.
The signs are already there: The Beijing visit of NSA Ajit Doval immediately after a visible change in India’s stance with regard to normalising ties with China. India’s stance was that normalisation of ties between India and China depended on the restoration of the pre-2020 border status. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also soon travel to China to participate in-person at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders' summit later this month.
