India and China should stand together to overcome difficulties in the face of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India said on Tuesday.

While India has been targeted by Trump with steep “reciprocal” tariffs of 27 per cent, the country has sought to placate him by opening talks on a bilateral trade agreement with the US that Indians hope could see the tariff burden reduced.

The decision, according to Trump, comes after a majority of countries entered into negotiations with Washington or chose not to retaliate against previous tariff hikes. During the 90-day window, a reduced reciprocal tariff rate of just 10 per cent will apply, offering some breathing room for global trade.