Image Credentials: Image Title: Beijing Slams U.S. Vice-President Vance as ‘Ignorant’ Over ‘Chinese Peasants’ Remark Source: AI-Generated Image (AI ChatBox) Date: April 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (AI ChatBox), and it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer with Agencies
BEIJING — A diplomatic row flared Tuesday after China condemned U.S. Vice-President JD Vance for what it called an “ignorant and impolite” remark made during a recent television appearance, in which he said the United States borrows money from “Chinese peasants.”
US Vice President JD Vance dismissed Chinese as “peasants”. Here is the amazing stuff those “peasants” can do (in just 12 years) – DKhttps://t.co/n3WTIq3PQ2 pic.twitter.com/VwIdl1up2t
— Charles Onyango-Obbo (@cobbo3) April 8, 2025
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian criticized Vance’s comments as both “surprising and sad,” adding that such rhetoric only serves to inflame an already tense trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies.
“As a key figure in the U.S. government, it is really shameful for Vice-President Vance to say such things,” Lin told reporters in Beijing. “It shows a profound lack of respect and understanding.”
Vance’s remarks came during a Thursday appearance on Fox News, where he defended President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies. Speaking on America’s trade dependence, Vance said:
“We borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture.”
The statement sparked a backlash not only from Chinese officials but also across social media platforms in China, where users expressed outrage and called for Vance to be barred from entering the country.
“Isn’t his memoir called Hillbilly Elegy?” one Weibo user wrote, referencing Vance’s 2016 best-selling autobiography. “He should know better than to insult people for their background.”
The controversy comes as Trump’s trade war with China reaches new heights. On Monday, the president gave Beijing until Tuesday to scrap its 34% retaliatory tariff or face an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods entering the U.S. If implemented, total tariffs on some imports could reach 104%, including levies introduced in March and last week.
China has vowed to “fight to the end,” with Lin reaffirming Beijing’s position:
“China’s stance on trade with the United States is consistent. We oppose bullying, and we will defend our legitimate rights.”
While the Trump administration maintains that the tariffs are essential to protect U.S. industries and reduce trade imbalances, economists have sounded alarms, warning that escalating duties could lead to rising prices, global supply chain disruptions, and even a recession.
Major financial institutions have already downgraded growth forecasts in light of the tariff threats, with markets showing increased volatility.
As rhetoric on both sides hardens, observers fear that missteps — verbal or policy-driven — could deepen the divide and make a diplomatic resolution even more elusive.
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