China has described US Vice President JD Vance as “ignorant and impolite” for claiming that America had borrowed money from “Chinese peasants”.
Lin Jian, a foreign ministry official, told reporters on Tuesday that Vance’s statements, which had already sparked outrage on Chinese social media, were “surprising and sad”.
Vance made the remarks on Thursday during an interview with Fox News, when he praised US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which are now stoking tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
“We borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture,” the vice president said.
On Monday, Trump gave China, one of the world’s largest holders of US Treasury bonds, until Tuesday to remove its 34% counter-tariff or face an additional 50% tax on items imported into the US.
If Trump follows through on his threat, US companies may face a total rate of 104% on Chinese imports, on top of the 20% tariffs imposed in March and the 34% announced last week.
China has stated that it will “fight to the end” and has labelled Trump’s actions as “bullying”.
“China’s position on China-US economic and trade relations has been made very clear,” Lin said on Tuesday.
Vance’s remarks have previously sparked outrage among Chinese social media users, with some calling for him to be barred from entering China.
“As a key figure in the US government, it is really shameful for Vance to say such things,” one Weibo user wrote.
“Isn’t his memoir called ‘Hillbilly Elegy’?” wrote another user, a reference to Vance’s book which detailed his upbringing in rural America.
Trump and his backers have long contended that their tariff stance will benefit the US economy and protect jobs.
However, experts have cautioned that this would cause severe disruptions in worldwide supply networks, drive up consumer prices, and spell doom for all trade.
Following the tariff announcement, financial institutions have warned of increased risks of a recession, both in the United States and around the world.
