Secret Letter From Xi to India Shows China’s Strategy Against U.S. Tariffs

China once secretly reached out to India for support against the tough trade policies of U.S. President Donald Trump. A report by Bloomberg has now revealed that Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote a confidential letter to Indian President Droupadi Murmu in March 2025, asking India to stand with China in the trade war with America. In the letter, Xi outlined his plan to counter Trump’s tariff moves and also expressed interest in improving ties between India and China.

Why Did Xi Seek India’s Support?

Quoting Indian diplomats, Bloomberg reported that China and the U.S. were locked in a fierce tariff battle at that time. Xi did not want to appear weak in this fight, which is why he directly reached out to India. He wanted the matter to remain highly confidential. In the letter, Xi described the U.S. trade deal as harmful to China’s interests. The tariff war between China and the U.S. had escalated to as high as 250 percent. The report further states that India did not respond to Xi’s secret letter until June 2025. India remained silent on the entire issue. Only after the trade war between the U.S. and China ended did India react to China’s initiative to improve relations. Following this, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval visited China, while China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi traveled to New Delhi.

How Trump’s Two Mistakes Brought India and China Closer

Citing international analysts, Bloomberg wrote that Trump made two big mistakes. First, he made alleged claims regarding the India-Pakistan ceasefire, stating that Pakistan had asked him to intervene and stop the conflict. India was angered by this claim. Immediately after that, Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods. This strained the relations between India and the U.S. The report adds that because of these two mistakes, America lost its oldest friend in South Asia. As a result, India and China began diplomatic-level discussions, and now both nations are moving forward towards reviving trade ties.