Beijing: The ongoing trade spat between the US and China did not find support from the Indian side for either of those countries. India has concluded the key Strategic Economic Dialogue with Beijing during which differences persisted over China’s controversial One Belt One Road initiative.

Those remarks by NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar was made as he held the fifth Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) dialogue with his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng, the chairman of China’s top planning body the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), in Beijing on Saturday.

While among other topics, the Belt and Road initiative also came up for discussion.

“India suo motu has been the supporter of the rule-based multilateral trading order. In that sense, we don’t have to take sides either one-way or the other,” Mr Kumar told the media when asked about India’s stand on the current trade spat between China and US.

The SED is considered a key platform between India and China to discuss trade and economic issues and it was resume this year after last year’s disruption amid the Dokalam standoff.

There was a growing rapprochement between both the countries after the standoff.

“India has always taken an independent position on trade issues,” Mr Kumar told the media.

The remarks made by him come amid the US and China announcement for tit-for-tat tariffs each other’s products. The President of United States is building up pressure on China to cut the USD375 bilateral billion trade deficit.

“While India does not like any measures that harm the rule based international trade regime, there is no reason to take sides in this,” he said.

“We are not that level of player inf the market. Our shares are much smaller. We are the takers of the rules than makers,” he said.

Mr Kumar cited that the US and Japanese trade war in the late 1980s when Washington successfully pressured Japan to cut the trade deficit.

“That is what the US is still expecting. If you notice, both sides have announced their position (to cut tariffs) but they have not given the dates. This is posturing,” he said.

“I don’t think anybody is interested in trade war trade crisis,” he said.

During his address at the SED yesterday, Mr Kumar made a strong pitch for China to allow India’s exports of soybean and sugar.

Soybean is a significant product for most US farmers and China is the largest importer. China has threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on its imports if Donald Trump went ahead with his tariff plan for China.

Detailing on his stance about him asking China to import soybean and sugar from India, he said, “My hint was much more towards agricultural tariffs in China than anything else”.

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