US Vice President J.D. Vance. Photo: AP
Beijing reacted sharply to the remarks made by US Vice President J.D. Vance, who said that the US was “borrowing money from Chinese farmers to buy their own goods”. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called these words “ignorant and impolite”, noting that such rhetoric is offensive and undermines the foundations of economic dialogue between the countries.
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stressed during a briefing:
“China’s position on trade and economic relations with the US has long been known. But to hear such statements from the mouth of the US Vice President is surprising and upsetting.”
Vance’s comments were made in an interview with Fox News, where he defended Donald Trump’s trade policy, in particular the introduction of tariffs against China. The politician called globalism “harmful” to the US economy and criticised the model of importing goods from China with borrowed funds.
His wording, which referred to Chinese manufacturers as “peasants”, caused a wide response and strong condemnation in Beijing. Analysts say that such statements could further complicate the already strained relations between the two economic giants.
