On Tuesday, 9 September, Beijing’s envoy in New Delhi had strongly criticised the Donald Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs of up to 50 per cent on Indian exports, describing the move as “unfair and unreasonable”.

Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong said the measure was a misuse of trade policy and called for India and China to step up cooperation to mitigate its impact.

Speaking at an event marking the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in the Second World War, Xu argued that Washington was turning tariffs into a “weapon” to extract “exorbitant” costs from trading partners.

Despite these clashes, Trump has in recent days mixed sharp criticism with unusually warm words for Modi, portraying him as a “great Prime Minister” while simultaneously demanding trade concessions. Modi’s carefully worded responses have echoed the positive spin, but offered little substance beyond affirmations of friendship.

Analysts note that while both leaders appear keen to project stability, the underlying disputes over tariffs, energy policy and India’s balancing act between Washington and Moscow remain unresolved. The rhetorical thaw may calm tempers temporarily, but whether it translates into meaningful compromise on trade and strategic issues is far from certain.