OpinionPod: Chinese chatter says Trump tariffs will make India turn to China and Russia

US President Donald Trump’s sharply contrasting tariff policies toward India and Pakistan have sparked widespread debate. India, long seen by Washington as a key strategic partner, faces tough tariffs, while Pakistan is swiftly emerging as America’s preferred partner in the Indian subcontinent. As one Weibo post put it, “Trump’s policy disguised favouritism towards Pakistan at India’s expense.”
Chinese views on this complex issue vary — from interpreting US moves as a classic divide-and-rule tactic exploiting China-Pakistan ties to seeing it as a humiliation for India. Yet many agree in China that this moment offers an opening for normalising ties between China and India.