It’s not the first-time people have used the term “a game of chicken” to describe the tariff escalation between the United States and China in recent weeks. However, after viral posts about President Trump hinting that the China tariff would come down “substantially” from the 145% level, many Chinese netizens a feel that there will be a winner for the first time.
- #特朗普认怂了Trump chickens out: 170 million views on Weibo, ranking number 1 on the Hot Search list
- #中方回应特朗普称或将大幅降低对华关税 China responds to Trump hinting at lowering tariff substantially: 46.33 million views on Weibo, ranking number 1 on the Hot Search list
However, it needs to be highlighted that the posts under this topic also includes news and comments on Trump saying that he has “no intention” of firing Jay Powell, Chair of the US Federal Reserve. Most Chinese netizens have expressed their scepticism for Trump, dismissing the statement as something he’d renege on the next day. Others also joked that the US president is probably “buying long” after “shorting” the stock market with his tariffs.
Other hot searches include the presidents of Azerbaijan and Kenya visiting Beijing on the same evening. As netizens continue to have deep distrust of the US and its policies, China is embracing partnerships with other countries.
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