China Is On Our Side. Really?

Suddenly China, slapped with over 100 percent tariffs by the United States, is sidling up to our side. What should we make of this behavior of the red dragon that at one time spews venom against us and when backed into a corner starts making conciliatory noises?

- SUNIL SHARAN

China provides financial assistance and military aid to Pakistan. In effect, China and Pakistan have caught us in a pincer grip. Combined, the armies of China and Pakistan are much larger than India's. India faces an uphill battle to beat these two in a two-front war.

China has responded to Donald Trump the only way it knows how by imposing tit-for-tat retaliatory tariffs. Trump has also levied stiff tariffs on India, but India has not responded with action of its own. Instead, India is counting on Modi's rapport with Trump to establish a fair trade deal with the United States.

The spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in India, Yu Jing, claims to share facts. As if facts ever come out of the People's Republic of China. Covid-19 has waned for three years, yet we are still clueless about its origins. Did it come out of a Chinese lab or a Chinese wet market? The world needs to know to prevent another pandemic, but the Chinese won't tell.

In any case, Yu Jing says in a recent tweet on X: "China-India economic and trade relationship is based on complementarity (sic) and mutual benefit. Facing the U.S. abuse of tariffs, which deprives countries, especially Global South countries, of their right to development, the two largest developing countries should stand together to overcome the difficulties."