India should engage US, China, and uphold WTO norms: GTRI

India must engage with both the US and China and it should not draw itself into any binary amid the trade wars between economic giants, Ajay Srivastava, founder of Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said in a note.

- TBG NETWORK

Chinese state media reported on Monday that China has warned countries that it firmly opposes any trade deals with the US that compromise Beijing's interests. The report added that it will slap countermeasures in a "resolute and reciprocal manner" against countries that strive to "appease" the US.

"India should not be drawn into binary geopolitical rivalries. Instead, it must engage with both China and the US on equal terms--guided by strategic autonomy, economic interest, and global trade principles--not by external pressure," Ajay Srivastava said in the note.

The Trump administration is reportedly pressuring countries to curb trade with China in exchange for tariff negotiations with the US.