'Tariffs on India don't make sense': Geopolitical expert slams Trump

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday came against the backdrop of escalating US tariffs that have rattled global markets. US has slapped a punitive 50 per cent duty on Indian goods.

The US has officially said India's continued imports of Russian oil and what it calls "unfair trade practices."  According to reports, India refused to hail Trump as a "peacemaker" during the conflict with Pakistan. The tariff, according to experts, might mark a turning point in India's positioning within the global trade and security order.

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Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow at Beijing-based Taihe Institute, strongly criticised the US stance during a panel discussion on NDTV. “Belittling a country like India, which is of such great importance for markets and labour, I don’t think it makes sense,” he said. Tangen also called Trump's policies as bullying.

Calling Modi's meeting with Xi a "moment of optics," Tangen said it sent a "very strong message" to Washington. “This is not only about India and China working together, but also about concerned nations uniting against arbitrary US actions,” he observed.

Tangen said that Trump's tariffs are not limited to India. “Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on 180 countries, including some penguins,” he said. He warned that Washington’s tactics resembled “colonial games."

He also highlighted India's leadership role in forums such as SCO and BRICS. Tangen suggested that Washington fears New Delhi might steer the non aligned world towards greater independence from US influence. “It is an opportunity to stand up, be counted, and for Modi to take the mantle of leadership. This is really what keeps Washington up late at night,” he added.

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Despite tensions in recent years, particularly after the 2020 Galwan clashes, Modi and Xi discussed efforts to stabilise bilateral relations. Troop disengagement in border areas created what Modi described as an "atmosphere of peace and stability.” Economic cooperation was also on the agenda, with areas like rare earths, tunnel boring machines and fertilisers.

Tangen however cautioned that rebuilding trust between India and China would take time.  “They are promising things already… but they have to be built on,” he said.