Vice President JD Vance has triggered a wave of backlash in China following controversial remarks made during a recent Fox News interview, where he referred to “Chinese peasants” in a discussion about U.S. trade and debt. The comment quickly went viral on Chinese social media and drew a fierce response from Beijing officials.
CNN reported on Tuesday that Vance’s comments, made last Thursday, reached China’s government circles “within hours” and dominated conversation on Weibo, one of the country’s most influential social media platforms. In the now widely circulated interview, Vance said, “And to make it a little bit more crystal clear, we borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture.”
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The remarks have been met with strong criticism from Chinese authorities, who denounced them as “ignorant and disrespectful.” At a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian condemned the vice president’s language. “It’s both astonishing and lamentable to hear this vice president make such ignorant and disrespectful remarks,” Lin said when questioned about the interview.
According to CNN’s senior international correspondent Will Ripley, the Chinese government’s reaction was not just swift but notably strategic. He pointed out that despite China’s typically strict online censorship, authorities allowed Vance’s comments to circulate freely across social platforms—an unusual move in a tightly controlled media environment.
Ripley suggested that the Chinese leadership may be using the incident to rally domestic sentiment in preparation for escalating trade tensions with the United States. “I think the reason why they’re even amplifying and encouraging people to talk about this is because China knows it’s on the verge of a very serious situation with this trade war,” Ripley explained on air. “They are preparing people for a fight, and so this just adds ammo to their argument, their American argument.”
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The comment has also drawn ridicule from Chinese citizens, some of whom took to social media to mock Vance’s background as the author of Hillbilly Elegy, the 2016 memoir detailing his Appalachian roots. Sarcastic posts and memes have flooded Weibo, painting Vance’s statement as out of touch and condescending.
While President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs continue to strain U.S.-China relations, Vance’s offhand remarks have added an unexpected layer of diplomatic tension—one that underscores the increasingly fragile state of international discourse between the two global powers.
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