A single tunnel boring machine (TBM) should not become a source of friction between China and India, the Global Times, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, in an editorial has said, adding that applications to export the equipment for “legitimate civilian projects would be approved”.The editorial comes days after Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India would develop its own TBMs if China restricted their exports. He said New Delhi was “not a country that surrenders” and added that when China imposed restrictions on rare earth elements, India did not go with a “begging bowl to Chinese authorities” but instead started exploring ways to “produce motors” without rare earth elements.This is not the first time China has abruptly imposed a licensing mechanism on a key export item, raising concerns about the weaponisation of supply chains. The Indian automobile industry faced disruptions in imports of rare earth magnets last year, an issue that remains unresolved. Along with rare earth magnets and TBMs, the Chinese government plans to impose restrictions on capital goods and technology related to the solar sector, leaving Indian industry concerned.In response to such pressure tactics, the government has announced plans to manufacture key components domestically. The Union Cabinet last year approved a Rs 7,280-crore scheme to promote the manufacturing of sintered rare earth permanent magnets (REPM), with the aim of building domestic supply chains and reducing import dependence. The government is also preparing a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for polysilicon manufacturing as it seeks to deepen India’s solar manufacturing value chain and reduce reliance on imports.Export restrictions“Legitimate civilian projects have little reason for concern, and there are precedents for resolving similar issues. In 2024, India raised concerns over delays in customs clearance for TBMs manufactured in China by a German company. Minister Goyal also brought up the matter with visiting German officials. Following communication and coordination between China and India, the issues were resolved, and some of the equipment was subsequently delivered in a smooth manner,” Global Times said.It added that “a confrontational mindset” would only “narrow the space for pragmatic consultations”.China’s Ministry of Commerce last month said exporters would need to apply for licences under provisions of its export control law and regulations governing the export of dual-use items. The restrictions will come into effect on November 18.Story continues below this adTBMs play a crucial role in several infrastructure projects, particularly the 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, India’s maiden bullet train project.The Chinese newspaper also said Beijing had never viewed India’s development as a threat. “As long as India provides Chinese companies with a fair and non-discriminatory business environment, the more advanced India’s infrastructure and manufacturing sectors become, the greater the potential market demand and opportunities for cooperation between the two countries,” the editorial said.India’s responseAccording to Geneva-based Global Trade Alert, India was both the largest initiator and the second most targeted jurisdiction for trade defence cases in the third quarter of 2026.India initiated 18 anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations between July 1 and September 30, more than any other jurisdiction, according to Global Trade Alert data. It was also the second most-targeted jurisdiction during the period. Indian trade defence cases have largely targeted China.Story continues below this adWhile China has announced a fresh licensing mechanism for TBMs, India has already been facing delays in importing the machines since 2024. However, the equipment was eventually received in March this year.In a video of an interaction between Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Germany’s then Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck during a metro train ride in Delhi in 2024, Goyal had flagged the issue of delayed shipments. He told Habeck that India was to receive TBMs from German company Herrenknecht, a leading manufacturer of the machines, but that the company was manufacturing them in China and their sale to India was being blocked.Herrenknecht had told The Indian Express in 2024 that it had been facing “extraordinary circumstances” in the customs clearance process for machines being shipped from China to India for several months. These delays were hindering the company from fulfilling its delivery obligations, it had said.Border tensionsThe latest developments come amid continuing tensions along the India-China border.Story continues below this adA month after India and China held Corps Commander-level talks in Arunachal Pradesh amid reports of tension in the Taksing area of Upper Subansiri district following movements by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Shatrujeet Kapur, Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), on October 23 acknowledged “face-offs” at “several locations in Arunachal” that were “still ongoing”.Responding to a question on Kapur’s remarks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) “gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns”.It underlined that “maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations”.Trade imbalanceThe latest restrictions also come amid growing backlash from China’s trading partners. China’s global trade surplus reached $1.2 trillion in 2025 and is expected to surpass $1 trillion again this year.Story continues below this adAccording to a report by Rhodium Group last month, an increase in China’s share of global exports implies a decline in the share of other economies.“We find that the countries that bear the greatest costs are those that are large trading economies in general, and have export profiles most similar to China’s. By 2030, we estimate that the US will lose 1.2 percentage points (pp) of its share of global trade, Indonesia 0.8pp, Canada 0.5pp, Germany 0.4pp, and the Netherlands 0.4pp. The rest of the world combined is projected to lose 4.6pp. Combined, these figures account for China’s estimated \~8pp gain,” the report said.