Why on earth would former US president Donald Trump, who initiated a trade war with China, be so popular with internet users of that country? A Global Times post on Weibo inviting people to give their impressions of Trump drew a staggering 600 comments. Many were nuetral but one sarcastically referred to him as “The King of knowning everything”, “Fake News” said another, “Grave-digger of US hegemony” said a third.
On Weibo, China’s platform similar to X (formerly Twitter), the news about the verdict quickly became the most discussed topic, attracting over 120 million views by the afternoon. He was accused of degrading the world order, decency, common sense and justice.
There was also the use of the Chinese word “Comrade Jianguo”, or build the country, but in this case the claim is that Trump helped build China to his own country’s detriment. Many said he was the first US president to entertain the Chinese people while wreaking havoc on his own country. The larger aim was to underscore the point that China’s system was better with a bunch of “little pinks” or loyalists of the Communist Party joining in the chorus.
But it was the prospect of a former leader like Trump being legally punished for his actions, that excited attention. Some people in China made fun of the situation, seeing Trump’s actions and policies as helping China by accident. They joked about the situation, suggesting it could lead to bigger problems in America. An Internet user described the Trump presidency as “magic realism”,pointing out that “There has never been a US president who has become a meme with his mouth full of lies.”
Nevertheless, criticism of Trump is a tricky thing for Chinese media. They have to be careful because he might become president again. So they use the situation to point out what they see as big problems with democracy in America, but they avoid harsh comments that could harm future relations with the US.
