U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations after trade talks reached a deadlock.

Trump has now imposed a total of 50% tariffs on goods imported from India, and his earlier threat of levying an extra 10% for the country's membership in the Brics grouping, which includes China, Russia and South Africa as founding members, still stands.

The rare public backing from China may signal deeper strategic maneuvering. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit China later this month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Sum