Trump’s Tariff Gamble Backfires on India, Says Bolton; China Emerges Stronger

Former US NSA warns that Donald Trump’s economic approach has undone decades of Western efforts to align India closer to the US and weakened the global response to China.

Washington DC [US], September 2 – Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has launched a scathing critique of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, warning that it has jeopardized decades of Western diplomatic efforts to reshape India’s global alignment.

In a series of candid posts on X, Bolton argued that Trump’s economic moves — particularly the imposition of steep tariffs — have “shredded” long-standing strategies aimed at moving India away from its Cold War attachment to the Soviet Union and countering China’s growing dominance.

“The West has spent decades trying to wean India away from its Cold War attachment to the Soviet Union/Russia, and cautioning India on the threat posed by China. Donald Trump has shredded decades of efforts with his disastrous tariff policy,” Bolton wrote.

He further warned that Trump’s narrow focus on tariffs without considering the broader geopolitical context had “handed Xi Jinping an opportunity to reset the East.”

Bolton, who served as Trump’s National Security Adviser between 2018 and 2019 before resigning over policy differences, has often been a sharp critic of Trump’s foreign and trade policies.

India at the Crossroads

The remarks come at a time when India is grappling with global economic uncertainty, after the US slapped a 50% tariff on Indian imports, later hiked by an additional 25% in response to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian crude oil.

On the sidelines of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council summit in Tianjin, China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held crucial bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Modi and Xi acknowledged the stabilizing role of both nations’ economies in the global trade order. At the same time, Modi reaffirmed India’s enduring friendship with Russia, telling Putin that New Delhi and Moscow have “always stood shoulder to shoulder, even in the most challenging situations.”

This year also marks the 15th anniversary of the India-Russia ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’, underscoring the depth of ties that remain significant despite US pressure.

Strategic Ripple Effect

Bolton’s criticism highlights growing concerns among Western policymakers that the Trump administration’s tariff-centric strategy risks pushing India back toward Moscow and closer to Beijing — a shift that could have lasting consequences for global geopolitics.