A top Chinese official has launched a scathing attack on the Trump administration, criticizing trade policies and appearing to mock American citizens as “peasants” who will suffer as a result of the trade war, as per Fox News.
Xia Baolong, the director of China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office under the State Council, reportedly condemned tariffs implemented by the Trump administration as “extremely shameless.”
The remarks appear to be a direct response to recent statements made by US Vice President JD Vance, who argued that the US “globalist economy” relies on borrowing from Chinese workers to purchase goods manufactured in China. Vance defended Trump’s plan to revitalize US manufacturing, claiming the current system is “not a recipe for economic prosperity.”
According to Reuters, Xia Baolong retorted, “Let those peasants in the United States wail in front of the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.”
Xia’s remarks were made in a pre-recorded address played before the 10th National Security Education Day, according to the South China Morning Post. He accused the U of being “the biggest sinister manipulator undermining human rights, freedom, the rule of law, prosperity and stability in Hong Kong.”
“The US isn’t after our tariffs but our very survival,” Xia reportedly said, adding that US attempts to contain and suppress Hong Kong “will eventually backfire on itself.”
Xia also labeled the US a “bully,” vowing that the Chinese government would continue to support Hong Kong.
“The Chinese people do not cause trouble, nor are they afraid of trouble. Pressure, threats and blackmail are not the right way to deal with China,” he asserted, according to the New York Post
The US Department of State has previously criticized Beijing and Hong Kong officials for using national security laws to intimidate and harass pro-democracy activists. Since widespread protests in 2019, Beijing has increasingly installed loyal officials in Hong Kong, a once-autonomous island.
This is not the first time Vance’s comments have drawn criticism from Beijing. Last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian described Vance’s remarks as “words that lack knowledge and respect,” calling them “surprising and kind of lamentable.”
The tensions come amid ongoing trade disputes between the two countries and growing concerns about China’s influence on Hong Kong. The Trump administration has yet to officially respond to Xia Baolong’s latest remarks
President Trump reacted to a recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vietnam’s Communist Party leader, To Lam, telling reporters that the two were likely discussing, “How do we screw the United States of America?”
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