'India was never at the table, just the main course': China says US punishes disobedience

Beijing’s state-backed media has accused the United States of punishing India for refusing to play by Washington’s rules, declaring that New Delhi’s pursuit of strategic autonomy has crashed into the “wall of U.S. unilateral hegemony.”

In an editorial, the Global Times claimed the dramatic collapse of U.S.-India trade ties—punctuated by President Trump’s 50% tariff assault—is not about oil, but about obedience. “India can be a 'great friend,' but only if it stays obedient,” the piece declared, adding that Washington views neutrality as disloyalty and autonomy as betrayal.

The commentary came just days after India pushed back strongly against U.S. trade penalties linked to its ongoing oil imports from Russia. New Delhi said its purchases are market-driven and vital to energy security for 1.4 billion people, calling the new tariffs “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.”

The Global Times argues that this pressure campaign exposes America’s double standards. “While accusing India, the U.S. and Europe continue their own business with Russia,” it noted, citing the West’s ongoing imports of Russian uranium, palladium, and refined fuels.

Observers quoted in the editorial suggest that a failed trade deal over India’s refusal to open its agricultural markets left Washington frustrated. With direct U.S.-Russia trade limited, the White House is allegedly using India’s Russian oil links as leverage to serve dual goals: punish India and pressure Moscow.

The piece paints the rift as a symptom of a larger geopolitical shift. India’s balancing act—between BRICS, the SCO, and the Quad—is now running aground in what the editorial calls a “Cold War-style” global realignment led by the U.S. In this world, not picking a side is tantamount to picking the wrong one.

“India was never at the table—only on the menu,” the editorial concludes.