‘Peasants in America Will Wail’: China Declares US Tariff War Will Backfire, Slams Trump & JD Vance

New Delhi: In a fiery televised address, senior Chinese official Xia Baolong launched a scathing attack on President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war, labeling the imposition of a 145% tariff on Chinese goods as "extremely shameless" and "brutally unreasonable." Xia, who oversees Hong Kong and Macao, warned that Trump’s tactics would soon backfire, potentially causing economic havoc in the US. 

‘Peasants’ in America Will Suffer

Xia Baolong didn’t hold back, claiming that the United States wasn’t merely targeting China's tariffs, but rather its very survival. He pointed to US actions in Hong Kong as evidence of a broader effort to suppress China, asserting, "Let those peasants in the United States wail in front of the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization." 

The remark seems to echo Beijing’s resolve to withstand American pressure and threats, despite the ongoing trade tensions.

‘JD Vance’s ‘Chinese Peasants’ Remark Sparks Outrage in China’

Xia’s comments come on the heels of an uproar ignited by US Vice President JD Vance’s recent remarks. Vance had reportedly stated that the US borrows from "Chinese peasants" to finance its economy and purchase goods that those very "peasants" produce. This phrase was met with swift backlash from Beijing, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian condemning Vance's words as "ignorant and disrespectful." 

The statement quickly went viral in China, with social media users on Weibo decrying Vance’s language as a reflection of American arrogance. State-run media outlets also piled on, with Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of the Global Times, mocking the Vice President’s “lack of perspective,” and urging him to visit China to better understand the situation.

In retaliation for Trump’s tariff hikes, China raised its own import taxes to 125% on US goods just last week. While the diplomatic tensions grow, both nations seem locked in a bitter contest of one-upmanship, with no clear path to de-escalation. Despite these exchanges, experts warn that prolonged trade wars typically result in economic damage on both sides — a scenario neither Beijing nor Washington wants to face, though both sides appear unwilling to back down.