US Vice President JD Vance’s “Chinese farmers” remarks on television have caused Beijing to protest and Chinese netizens to react strongly on Weibo.
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US Vice President JD Vance. Photo: Reuters . |
In an interview with Fox News ’ “Fox & Friends” last week, JD Vance defended Trump’s hard-line trade tariff policies while attacking the globalized economy.
“What has the global economy done for America ? Basically, we have gone into massive debt to buy things that other countries produce for us,” Mr. Vance said.
“In simpler terms, we borrow money from Chinese farmers to buy products that they themselves make,” he added.
This statement quickly spread on Chinese social networks, sparking a wave of strong criticism.
At a regular press conference on April 8, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian expressed his indignation: “It is unbelievable and regrettable that a vice president could make such ignorant and insulting statements.”
CNN said it has reached out to Mr. Vance’s office for comment, but has not received a response .
Meanwhile, on Weibo, the video of Mr. Vance’s interview immediately became a “hot” topic. As of the morning of April 8, the related hashtag had attracted more than 140 million views and became the most discussed topic.
Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, did not hesitate to retort: “It is this ‘farmer’ from the American countryside who lacks vision. Many people are calling on him to come to China to see for himself.”
One Weibo account commented sarcastically: “Look, this is their true face, always arrogant and rude.” The comment quickly received thousands of likes.
“We may be farmers, but we are farmers who own the world’s leading high-speed rail system, possess the world’s number one logistics capabilities, AI technology, self-driving cars and drones at the forefront of the world. Aren’t farmers like us very proud?”, another commented.
Chinese public opinion also did not forget to mention Mr. Vance’s own past. In the famous memoir Hillbilly Elegy published in 2016, he described his miserable childhood in the poor Appalachia region, a place “forgotten” by the American political elite.
The book created a fever in the US after Donald Trump ‘s unexpected victory in last year’s election and was considered a “mirror” of the psychology of the white working class.
Currently, the wave of criticism of Mr. JD Vance’s statement shows no signs of cooling down. Many opinions say that his statement not only shows ignorance but also damages the US-China relationship, which is in a sensitive period.
