By Tony Bruce & Don Terry | Thursday, April 24, 2025 | 5 min read
Beijing, China — Donald Trump is getting roasted across Chinese social media, and not in the way he’s used to dominating headlines. A hashtag branding him a “chicken” for backing off his own U.S.-China trade war has caught fire on Weibo, racking up over 150 million views and triggering a tidal wave of mockery.
The former self-styled “Tariff Man” is now being accused of surrendering to Beijing—without winning a single concession.
In a blunt rebuke to Trump’s sudden shift in tone, China made clear it’s not buying the act.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun didn’t mince words:
“The U.S. should stop its threats and coercion, and engage with China on the basis of equality, mutual respect, and reciprocity. Claiming it wants to reach an agreement while constantly applying maximum pressure is not the right way — and it simply won’t work.”
Translation? Nice words don’t erase months of economic warfare. Beijing’s message: Don’t smile while holding a gun.
Guo doubled down, signaling that while China isn’t itching for a fight, it won’t flinch either.
“We do not want to fight, but we are not afraid to fight. If it’s to fight, we’ll fight till the end. If it’s to talk, our door is wide open.”
But actions speak louder than statements. While Trump dials down the rhetoric, China’s retaliation is in full swing. It has:
- Hiked tariffs on American goods to a bruising 125%
- Added more U.S. firms to its “unreliable entity” list
- Cut off vital exports of rare-earth minerals critical to American tech and defense systems
- Slapped cultural sanctions, choking off the flow of Hollywood films into China
- Returned unsold Boeing jets, dealing a direct hit to one of the U.S.’s most iconic exporters
China’s not just matching Trump’s punches — it’s targeting pressure points with surgical precision. While Washington wavers, Beijing’s response is calculated, disciplined, and unmistakably cold-eyed.
From Bully to Backpedaler
Not long ago, Trump was pounding the table about “no exceptions, no exemptions.” Now, his administration is floating tariff cuts, begging China to return to the negotiating table. His Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, admitted there are no active talks—just both sides “waiting to speak.”
That’s a far cry from Trump’s usual braggadocio about “tough negotiations” and “winning big.”
Chinese netizens aren’t buying the spin. One viral post on Weibo read:
“Today’s Trump defeats yesterday’s Trump. What will tomorrow’s Trump surrender?”
Another simply asked:
“Is he negotiating with China—or with himself?”
Corporate America Sounds the Alarm
This sudden pivot didn’t come out of nowhere. Trump has been feeling the heat from powerful corners of his own economy. CEOs from Walmart to Home Depot warned that his tariffs were about to cause empty store shelves and painful summer price hikes.
Wall Street didn’t wait for the fallout. The markets have shed $6.5 trillion since February—wiping out any illusion of economic stability under Trump’s watch.
Even some of Trump’s biggest donors are growing uneasy. GOP megabacker Ken Griffin publicly warned that America’s standing as a global leader is slipping. Meanwhile, consumer confidence has cratered to levels not seen since the aftermath of 9/11.
Beijing’s Victory Lap—Without Moving a Muscle
In contrast, China has stayed remarkably quiet—a silence that speaks volumes. No fiery speeches, no public demands. Just a calm, confident shrug as Trump twists himself into knots.
“Trump is folding without China even playing a card,” said former White House economic advisor Gene Sperling. “They’re probably stunned at how easy this was.”
China’s Foreign Ministry issued a one-line statement telling the U.S. to “stop bullying.” That’s all it took. The rest was handled by Weibo users gleefully turning Trump’s retreat into a meme-worthy moment.
Does Trump Stand for Anything—Or Just Fall?
With no deal in place and his own tariff threat now in shambles, analysts are starting to ask the real question: What does Trump’s word actually mean?
“If you start with 145% tariffs and slash them before talks even begin,” said one analyst, “you’re not negotiating—you’re surrendering.”
Beijing has slammed the brakes on any optimism surrounding a U.S.-China trade thaw, rejecting Washington’s latest outreach and insisting all tariffs must go—no exceptions. “If the U.S. truly wants a solution, it should first scrap all its unilateral tariffs,” said Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman He Yadong. He dismissed reports of progress in trade negotiations as “completely baseless.”
The message from Beijing was unmistakable: don’t talk cooperation while keeping the economic handcuffs on.
Adding to the pressure, China’s central bank governor Pan Gongsheng issued a pointed warning about the broader fallout. As tensions simmer, the world risks slipping into an era of “high friction, low trust,” he said—an implicit rebuke of Washington’s erratic trade playbook under Trump. Despite the former president’s recent attempts to soften his tariff rhetoric, real progress remains out of reach.
Wall Street felt the chill. After Wednesday’s rally—fueled by premature hopes of a breakthrough—stocks retreated Thursday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tried to pour cold water on speculation that the White House might unilaterally ease tariffs. “This is the equivalent of an embargo,” he said bluntly, warning that the current tariff regime is unsustainable and that Beijing isn’t the only one running out of patience.
For now, the only winner in this trade war appears to be Chinese social media, where “Chicken Trump” continues to trend, and the once-feared architect of economic nationalism looks more like a punchline.
Copyright 2025 FN, NewsRoom.
