- Chinese official Xia Baolong slammed Trump’s 145% tariffs as “shameless” and warned they’ll backfire on American farmers.
- Beijing hit back with its own 125% tariffs, escalating the trade war and stirring nationalist sentiment across Chinese media.
- VP JD Vance’s controversial comments about “Chinese peasants” sparked outrage in China, going viral and drawing fierce criticism online.
Tensions are running hotter than ever between the U.S. and China, and Beijing isn’t holding back anymore. In a fiery televised speech, senior Chinese official Xia Baolong—who oversees affairs in Hong Kong and Macao—tore into President Trump’s trade war tactics, calling them “extremely shameless” and warning they’ll backfire in a big way.
Xia didn’t mince words. He slammed Trump’s steep 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, calling them “brutally unreasonable” and accusing Washington of trying to choke China’s economic lifeline.
“The U.S. isn’t just going after our exports… they’re going after our very survival,” Xia said bluntly. “And eventually, it’s the American peasants who’ll be left wailing.”
Yeah—he actually said that. And it didn’t stop there.
He accused the U.S. of constantly trying to suppress Hong Kong and went on to claim that “bullying and blackmail” has never worked against China—and never will. “The Chinese people don’t cause trouble, and we sure don’t fear it,” he added.
Escalating the Spat
The remarks come right after China announced its own countermeasures—raising tariffs on U.S. goods to 125% in response to Trump’s latest hike. And just when things couldn’t get more tense, U.S. Vice President JD Vance threw gasoline on the fire.
In a now-viral interview, Vance claimed that America’s borrowing from “Chinese peasants” to buy the very products those same peasants are making.
Unsurprisingly, Beijing wasn’t thrilled.
Lin Jian, spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, snapped back, calling Vance’s words “ignorant and disrespectful.” The backlash in China was swift—clips of Vance’s remarks exploded across Chinese social media.
Even Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the state-run Global Times, weighed in on Weibo, writing: “This so-called ‘peasant’ from rural America lacks any real perspective.”
A Digital Firestorm
One particular hashtag about Vance’s comments became the top trend on Weibo, with users piling on.
“Look at their true face,” one user wrote. “Arrogant. Rude. Just like always.”
All in all, it’s looking more like a war of words is building into something bigger—and meaner—by the day. And if the rhetoric is anything to go by, both sides are just getting started.
