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China Mocks Trump’s Trade Policy with AI-Generated Memes
Chinese accounts online are employing AI-generated content to lampoon Donald Trump’s tariff policy, utilizing memes to poke fun at the former president’s efforts to bolster American manufacturing. These digital barbs are circulating widely, highlighting the ongoing tensions surrounding the US-China trade relations.
AI Videos Depict Trump and Vance in Sweatshops
An AI-generated video, shared across platforms like TikTok and the Chinese app Douyin, portrays Trump and Vice President JD Vance toiling in a sweatshop, stitching “MAGA” hats. Text overlaid in Mandarin, accompanied by laughing emojis, declares, “Factories are being located to the United States.”
Humorous Images Ridicule “US Manufacturing Revival Plan”
Further fueling the online mockery, another digital creation depicts a figure resembling the former president fleeing the White House amidst debris, with a fighter jet crashing nearby. These images are part of a broader campaign by Chinese accounts to ridicule the so-called “US Manufacturing Revival Plan” since Trump initiated tariffs on Chinese exports.
Panda vs. Bald Eagle: Political Cartoon Imagery
One particularly striking image, reminiscent of classic political cartoons, presents China as a panda in military fatigues of the People’s Liberation Army, brandishing a knife against a bald eagle, the symbol of the United States. This visual metaphor underscores the perceived antagonism stemming from the trade war.
Tariff Escalation and China’s Response
While Trump had previously reduced some tariffs, lowering duties for many nations to a base rate of 10% for a limited period, levies on Chinese goods have continued to climb. The White House recently clarified that China now faces a 145% rate, encompassing new levies and previously existing tariffs.
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In response, China’s Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council asserted, “Even if the U.S. continues to impose higher tariffs, it will no longer make economic sense and will become a joke in the history of world economy.”
Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, expressing indignation over the tariff impositions, urged the European Union to resist Trump’s “unilateral bullying.” Beijing has amplified its tariffs on U.S. goods to 125% and indicated it would disregard any further U.S. increases.
The recent tariffs signify a considerable surge from the 84% rate announced just days prior, now aligning with the existing U.S. tariffs on Chinese products.
However, China’s increased tariffs merely mirror Trump’s latest set of duties, as Washington stated the 125% figure announced previously included a pre-existing 20% rate.
“Made in China” Memes Highlight Consumer Impact
Beijing has voiced strong objections and disbelief regarding the tariffs’ impact on the price of Chinese goods destined for the U.S. market.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, recently shared an AI-generated meme depicting a “MAGA” hat labeled “made in China,” with the price increased to $77 from $50. This meme aimed to highlight the self-inflicted economic repercussions of the tariffs for U.S. consumers.
AI is increasingly being used to illustrate the perceived absurdity of the trade war.
Chinese social media accounts persist in disseminating AI-generated videos portraying U.S. officials and average citizens laboring in sweatshops reminiscent of Chinese factories. This is a subtle jab at Trump’s commitment to utilize tariffs to stimulate domestic manufacturing in the United States.
One video that gained traction this week showcased Trump, Elon Musk, and JD Vance working on a production line assembling trainers.
Concerns Over Rising Consumer Goods Prices
Growing anxieties suggest that a continued economic standoff with China could lead to significant price increases for consumer goods. Products like Nike shoes, featured in viral videos, could experience dramatic price hikes.
Currently, a substantial majority, 62%, of shoes sold in the United States are imported from China. Other nations such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, and India supply the remaining portion. Domestic production accounts for a mere one percent.
AI Content Goes Viral on Multiple Platforms
Other AI-generated content related to the trade war has achieved viral status across platforms including TikTok, Weibo, Douyin, X, and Reddit.
One widely shared video offered a bleak depiction of life in a re-industrialized America, showing overweight factory workers stitching inexpensive garments.
The brief clip focused on stereotypical manufacturing jobs that have migrated overseas over recent decades.
The American workers are portrayed as sluggish and weary from their labor, operating outdated sewing machines.
In another absurd digital creation, a character resembling Trump on a trading floor is shown being slapped by a woman dressed in traditional Chinese attire.
Meanwhile, Beijing Business Daily disseminated an AI-generated meme of a penguin wearing a red “Make America Go Away” baseball cap within a news segment aired on Weibo.
A video accompanying the story featured a penguin delivering a line in Mandarin within a speech bubble: “We have to pay taxes too?”
“Behind the memes lies a deeper absurdity,” suggests the report.
Chinese State Media Uses AI Music Video to Criticize Tariffs
Chinese state media outlet CGTN adopted a different approach, releasing a 2-minute 42-second music video titled “Look What You Taxed Us Through (An AI-Generated Song. A Life-Choking Reality).”
The AI-generated song incorporated lyrics such as: “‘Liberation Day,’ you promised us the stars. But tariffs killed our cheap Chinese cars.”
Lyrics displayed in both English and Chinese appeared to criticize the tariffs from the perspective of the American consumer.
The media outlet commented: “For many Americans, ‘Liberation Day’ hailed by the Trump administration will translate into shrinking paychecks and escalating costs.”
“Tariffs hit, wallets quit: low-income families bear the heaviest burden. As the market remains uncertain, the impact is already undeniable.”
“Numbers do not deceive. Nor does the cost of this so-called ‘fairness’.”
“Warning: Track is AI-generated. The debt crisis? 100 percent human-made.”
Economic Impact on China and Retail Reactions
China is a vital trade partner with a substantial manufacturing sector, producing vast quantities of affordable goods for American consumers.
Trump’s tariffs arrive at a challenging juncture for China’s economy. Businesses are currently scrambling to adjust their supply chains, and officials are concerned that any profits from selling goods to the U.S. will be completely negated.
In Shanxi, China, jewelry stores displayed prominent red banners announcing a 104% “service fee” for American customers.
The Zhangji BBQ Beef Offal Restaurant in Wuhan also put up similar banners, according to local media reports.
Xi Jinping Seeks European Cooperation Against “Unilateral Bullying”
During a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Xi Jinping advocated for collaboration with China to oppose what he termed “unilateral bullying” by the U.S.
Beijing asserted that the three-month reprieve on significant tariffs impacting 57 countries, announced earlier in the week, was a result of “pressure from China” and represented a gesture of goodwill.
“China and Europe should uphold their international responsibilities… and collectively resist unilateral bullying practices,” Xi stated.
He emphasized that this would not only “safeguard their own legitimate rights and interests, but also… uphold international fairness and justice.”
Sanchez, speaking at a press conference following his meeting with Xi, commented that trade tensions should not impede cooperation between the European Union and China.
Spain’s annual purchases of goods from China, its fourth-largest trading partner, amount to approximately 45 billion euros ($49.1 billion), while sales to China total around 7.4 billion euros.
“Both Spain and Europe experience a considerable trade deficit with China that requires rectification,” he acknowledged.
However, he added, “we must not permit trade tensions to obstruct the potential growth of the relationship between China and Spain, and between China and the EU.”
Sanchez’s visit coincides with the European Union reassessing its global trade relationships in response to the instability triggered by the U.S. import duties announced the previous week, which have caused considerable turbulence in world markets.
Europe Urged to Counter “Unfair” Tariffs
While Europe has benefited from Trump’s partial tariff reduction—now facing a 10% levy on exports to the U.S.—leaders are cautioning against complacency.
Emmanuel Macron recently urged Europe to “mobilize” its influence to protect itself from what he described as “unfair” tariffs.
The French president insisted that “Europe must persist in developing all necessary countermeasures,” viewing the “fragile” pause as “90 days of uncertainty for all our businesses, on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.”
“We are justified in our fight: jobs and the livelihoods of our nations are at stake.”
Macron reaffirmed a willingness to negotiate, reiterating the European Commission’s objective to “negotiate to eliminate these unfair tariffs and achieve a balanced agreement, devoid of asymmetries.”