China netizens defiant as Beijing hits back at Trump tariffs
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The reaction of Chinese social media users reflects what appears to be broad support for the authorities’ tough response to the US president's trade demands.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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BEIJING – Chinese social media users have attacked posts calling for China to accede to US President Donald Trump’s trade demands, showing defiance after Beijing forcefully retaliated against US tariffs.
The comments, attributed to a money manager, described the Trump administration as having the upper hand in the trade war and urged exporting countries, including China, to bow to the world’s largest economy.
While the person denied making the post, the reaction reflects what appears to be broad support for the authorities’ tough response to the US President.
China is “the world’s largest producer of industrial products and won’t be controlled by buyers”, Kai Lei, a commentator with 2.5 million followers, said on Weibo in response to the remarks.
A screenshot of the downbeat post was censored, as Chinese social media moderators keep a tight grip on public conversations.
The exchange was part of the strong public reaction in China to Mr Trump’s escalated tariff war and Beijing’s countermeasures, including a 34 per cent tariff on all imports from the US
Chinese social media users also rallied behind a front-page editorial in the official People’s Daily warning against panic, with the topic trending on April 7 under the hashtag “Focus on doing your own thing”.
The appeals for calm contrast with the market sell-off, with the Hang Sang China Enterprises Index plunging 12 per cent and set for the worst day since 2008.
The global market meltdown topped the trending chart on Weibo.
A post pinned to the topic by the National Business Daily describes plummeting prices for assets, including US stock futures, Japanese and Korean stocks, and gold, although it omitted the equity rout at home.
China’s policymakers discussed measures over the weekend to stabilise the economy and the markets in the face of Mr Trump’s tariff onslaught, including whether to accelerate plans to unleash stimulus to bolster consumption, according to people familiar with the matter. BLOOMBERG
