'Elephant-dragon dance' on Trump tariffs: China calls on India to work together against US

As tensions escalate between China and US after American President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on all Chinese imports to 20 per cent, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday (March 7) called upon India to work together to “take the lead in opposing hegemonism and power politics”.

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In a press conference on the sidelines of the country's annual parliamentary session in Beijing, Wang said China's efforts to help the US contain its fentanyl crisis have been met with punitive tariffs, which are straining their ties.

Retaliatory tariffs

The US this week levied duties against China as well as Canada and Mexico over accusations of fentanyl smuggling, which the countries have called unjustified. China maintains it has done a lot to curb the exports of industrial chemicals used to make fentanyl over the past few years, and that illegal drug use in the US is a domestic problem.

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The duties were the latest in a series of retaliatory tariffs Washington and Beijing have imposed against one another since US President Trump's return to office in January.

The US raised flat tariffs on all Chinese imports to 20 per cent, while Beijing countered with additional 15 per cent duties on US imports including chicken, pork, soy and beef, and expanded controls on doing business with key US companies.

‘Elephant and dragon dance’

Amid this, Wang said China and India should be partners, stating that “elephant (India) and dragon (China) dance was the right choice.”

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“China and India should be partners that contribute to each other’s success. A cooperative pas de deux (dance involving two people) of the dragon and the elephant is the only right choice for both sides," Wang said.

“There is every reason for us to support each other rather than undermine each other or undercut each other,” he said, adding that both the countries “should work with each other rather than guard against each other”.

“This is the only path that truly serves the fundamental interests of the two countries," Wang said.

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“As important members of the Global South, we have the responsibility to take the lead in opposing hegemonism and power politics” he said. “We must not only safeguard legitimate rights and interests of our countries but also uphold the basic norms governing international relations.”

‘Positive strides’ in India-China relations

"If China and India join hands, the prospect of greater democracy in international affairs and the stronger Global South will improve greatly," he said. Wang said 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomatic relations.

“China stands ready to work with India to sum up past experience and forge a fast forward and advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development," he said.

On India-China relations, Wang said the two countries have made “positive strides” and achieved a series of encouraging outcomes at all levels after last year’s breakthrough ending the over four-year-long military standoff in eastern Ladakh.

Wang also said the boundary question or specific differences should not affect the bilateral relations between the two countries.

“China-India relations have made positive strides over the past year” after the successful meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at Kazan in Russia, Wang replied to a question on how Beijing views the course of bilateral ties after the two countries ended the prolonged stalemate in the ties.

Disengagement process

Both Xi and Modi provided strategic guidance for the improvement of ties at the Kazan meeting. After this, both sides earnestly followed through on the important common understanding of the leaders, “strengthened exchanges and practical cooperation at all levels and achieved a series of positive outcomes", he said.

India and China completed the disengagement process late last year after firming up a pact for the withdrawal of troops from Depsang and Demchok, the last two friction points in eastern Ladakh, ending over four years of freeze in ties.

After the finalisation of the pact, Modi and Xi held talks in Kazan on October 23. In the meeting, the two sides decided to revive the various dialogue mechanisms.

After that, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Wang held the 23rd Special Representatives (SR) dialogue in Beijing on December 18.

Peace at borders

On January 26, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri travelled to the Chinese capital and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong under the framework of the 'Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister' mechanism.

In an apparent reference to India stressing the importance of peace at borders for the development of relations, Wang reiterated China's stand that the differences over the boundary or on other issues should not affect the overall bilateral ties.

“As two ancient civilisations, we have enough wisdom and capability to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas pending a fair and reasonable solution” to the boundary issue, said Wang, who is also a member of the powerful political bureau of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

“We should never allow bilateral relations to be defined by the boundary question or specific differences to affect the overall picture of our bilateral ties," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)