Chinese social media users—and even some Chinese government officials—are using AI-generated memes to troll President Donald Trump, as his steep tariff hike against Chinese imports prompted retaliatory levies and stoked fears of an all-out trade war.
President Donald Trump raised tariffs on China to 125% after China retaliated against Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Key Takeaways
- Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s ministry of foreign affairs, posted a meme on X Thursday morning depicting the cost of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats spiking by more than 50%, presumably because of Trump’s tariffs.
- The meme depicts the hat with a “Made in China” tag, but official MAGA hats are actually made in the United States, though some unofficial knock-off merchandise may be made in China.
- Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the United States, doubled down on Mao’s meme, posting a meme of MAGA hats spiking in price by more than 100%, which he says was first posted by a user on the Chinese social media app Rednote.
- Some AI-generated memes that have circulated on Chinese social media depict Americans working in factories—in some videos, making Tesla products—as an apparent nod to Trump’s desire to reinvigorate American manufacturing through his “Liberation Day” tariffs plan.
- These memes have gone widely viral on X, with one video of Americans, depicted as overweight, working in a textile factory, which has been viewed nearly 20 million times on X with more than 227,000 likes.
- Liu and many other social media users had also posted memes targeting Trump’s widely mocked tariffs against Heard Island and McDonald Islands, uninhabited territories that were slapped with a 10% tariff, depicting penguins protesting Trump’s duties on the remote islands.
What’s Happening With Trump’s Tariffs In China?
China has become Trump’s biggest tariff target and is exempt from his 90-day pause on tariffs to many nations Trump announced on Wednesday. Trump, instead, raised tariffs on China to 125%, which he says is because of the country’s retaliatory tariffs imposed on the United States. Trump slammed China’s “lack of respect” for global markets in a Wednesday Truth Social post announcing increased duties, while criticizing the nation for “ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries.”
China had previously retaliated with 84% tariffs on the United States. China’s commerce ministry spokesperson He Yongqian said Thursday the “door to talks is open, but dialogue must be conducted on an equal basis with mutual respect.” China issued a travel warning to the United States on Wednesday, citing the “deterioration of China-US economic and trade relations.”
Key Background
Trump’s chaotic tariff rollout has roiled global markets and quickly caused some of the stock market’s worst days in years. Trump touted his tariffs as “liberation” for the United States and announced tariff hikes on nearly every country last week, accusing them of ripping off the United States in global trade.
The tariffs sparked international criticism, as well as some bipartisan pushback in the United States, and caused stocks to instantly tank, with economists voicing fears the U.S. would head toward a recession. Various billionaires, including close Trump ally and Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk, have spoken out against the tariffs. Trump announced a 90-day pause on many tariffs Wednesday, bringing down tariffs to a universal 10% rate, prompting stocks to surge. Stocks dipped again Thursday morning, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 744 points, or 1.8%, with tech companies Apple, Nvidia and Tesla falling 3%, 4.9% and 5%, respectively.
