In a bid to counter former US President Donald Trump’s trade policies, China sought assistance from India. President Xi Jinping penned a secret letter to Indian President Droupadi Murmu in March 2025, the contents of which have recently been disclosed. Bloomberg’s report, released five months later, revealed the core message: Jinping’s plan to combat the United States in a trade war and his request for India’s support.
Bloomberg’s findings indicated that the secret letter detailed Jinping’s strategy to address Trump’s tariffs. Jinping also expressed an interest in improving relations between the two nations.
The letter also referenced an individual believed by Jinping to be pivotal in the negotiations, though their identity remained undisclosed by Bloomberg.
Citing Indian diplomats, Bloomberg reported that China and the US were locked in a tariff dispute. Jinping, keen to avoid weakness, reached out to India directly, keeping the matter highly classified. He considered US trade agreements detrimental to China’s interests. Tariffs between China and the US had reached 250 percent.
The report noted India’s silence on Jinping’s secret letter until June 2025, with no initial response. It was only after the trade war ended that India reacted to China’s initiative to mend relations.
This response saw visits from Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval to China, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi.
Analysts suggest that Trump’s two missteps played a role. Firstly, his claims regarding the India-Pakistan ceasefire were met with India’s disapproval. Secondly, Trump’s decision to impose a 50 percent tariff on India strained the relationship.
The report concluded that the US lost an important ally in South Asia due to Trump’s actions. This led to diplomatic talks between India and China, with the two countries now moving towards establishing trade ties.