China Lashes Out at Trump Admin Over Trade War, Says ‘Peasants’ in the US Will Suffer

China Lashes Out at Trump Admin Over Trade War, Says ‘Peasants’ in the US Will Suffer

Beijing — April 15, 2025

In a sharply worded rebuke that underscores rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, a senior Chinese official lashed out at the Trump administration’s trade policies, warning that ordinary Americans — whom he referred to as “peasants” — would bear the brunt of the ongoing trade war.

The comments, made during a state-run television interview with Vice Commerce Minister Liu Kang, come in response to renewed tariffs announced by former President Donald Trump, who has returned to the political spotlight as the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Trump has vowed to escalate trade measures against China if re-elected, accusing Beijing of currency manipulation, intellectual property theft, and economic aggression.

“Trump’s economic war is a reckless act of self-sabotage,” Liu said. “It is not the elite or the corporations who will suffer, but the American peasants — the workers, the farmers, the ordinary families — who will face rising costs, job insecurity, and an uncertain future.”

The use of the term “peasants” — widely interpreted in the West as a derogatory label — triggered swift reactions on social media and among U.S. political commentators. While some analysts suggested the term may have been a mistranslation or a reference to rural populations, others saw it as a deliberate slight aimed at Trump's working-class base.

Liu’s remarks coincided with new data from China’s Ministry of Commerce showing a significant decline in U.S. agricultural exports to China since the trade dispute reignited earlier this year. Soybean imports from the U.S., once a pillar of Sino-American agricultural trade, have dropped by more than 60% year-over-year, replaced largely by imports from Brazil and Russia.

The Trump campaign issued a fiery response to Liu's statement late Monday, with spokesperson Taylor McBride calling it “an outrageous insult to the American people” and proof that “China fears the return of a strong, America-first president.”

“We will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to dictate our economy or insult our workers,” McBride said. “President Trump stood up to China before, and he will do it again.”

The Biden administration, meanwhile, has sought to strike a more diplomatic tone, urging both sides to de-escalate and warning that prolonged trade tensions could harm global markets. White House Press Secretary Anne Raymond declined to comment directly on Liu’s remarks but reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to “strategic competition without conflict.”

As U.S.-China relations continue to fray, analysts warn that the rhetoric on both sides is likely to heat up further in the run-up to the November election, especially as economic pressures mount and both nations attempt to rally domestic support.

“Trade policy has become a political weapon,” said Sarah Kim, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “What we’re seeing now is less about economics and more about symbolism, nationalism, and a battle for global influence.”

Whether the so-called “peasants” in the U.S. will indeed suffer may depend less on rhetoric and more on whether cooler heads can prevail in the months ahead.