Chinese citizens are reportedly using social media to share openly critical and mocking remarks about Donald Trump during his visit to Beijing.
In an unusual move for the one-party state, government censors seem to be allowing these comments to spread.
On Wednesday, CNN’s Erin Burnett highlighted a series of viral online posts that criticized both Trump and the United States, pointing out that “Beijing’s strict censors are letting the ridicule go viral, which is a statement in and of itself.”
According to Burnett, some of the comments circulating online include:
“They’ll look up to us from now on.”
“Trump came to China. We won the tariff war.”
“Trump. You’re welcome to visit China and learn from us.”
“The U.S. is no longer a country that we look up to. We can now compete with them with confidence and strength.”
“The U.S. Economy is in bad shape. Trump has been blustering Iran for so long, yet hasn’t bought them a real victory. America has lost its swagger. They’re nothing but a paper tiger.”
Burnett observed that “in China, political content like this never goes viral, especially when you have a head of state coming.” She suggested the posts are spreading because “government censors want” them to.
“And by the tone of the messages, the Chinese government feels they’ve got the upper hand,” she added.
