A high-ranking Chinese official has cheekily thrown Vice President JD Vance’s “peasant” comment back at him following China’s recent move to increase tariffs on American imports. Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, announced retaliatory levies of 125% on American goods entering China.
He said mockingly: “Let those peasants in the US wail before the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation.” This comes after the US Vice President said: “What has the globalist economy gotten the United States of America? And the answer is, fundamentally, it’s based on two principles – incurring a huge amount of debt to buy things that other countries make for us.
“To make it a little more crystal clear, we borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture.”
Xia said the ongoing trade conflict was “extremely shameless” and wants to “take away Hong Kong’s life”, as per Reuters.
He added: “The Chinese people do not cause trouble, nor are they afraid of trouble. Pressure, threats, and blackmail are not the right way to deal with China.”
The official accused the US of being “the biggest sinister manipulator undermining human rights, freedom, the rule of law, prosperity and stability in Hong Kong”.
He continued: “The US isn’t after our tariffs but our very survival. The US has repeatedly contained and suppressed Hong Kong … and this will eventually backfire on itself.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian also responded to Mr Vance’s comments. He said: “It’s both astonishing and lamentable to hear this vice president make such ignorant and disrespectful remarks.”
“Judging from its actions, the US doesn’t seem to be serious about having talks right now. If the US truly wants to talk, it should let people see that they’re ready to treat others with equality, respect and mutual benefit.”