Beijing’s propaganda machine is in overdrive after President Trump slapped another round of punishing tariffs on Chinese goods. And if the tone of China’s state-run Global Times is any indicator, they’re not taking it well.
In a scathing editorial published Tuesday, the Global Times accused Trump of using tariffs as a weapon to “blackmail” China and “pursue selfish interests.” The editorial dismissed Trump’s demand for “reciprocity” and claimed his administration was using economic pressure tactics “not the right way” to deal with Beijing.
“Tariff blackmail will not intimidate China,” the paper raged. “Nor will it undermine justice.”
This might be slightly more convincing if China weren’t one of the most protectionist economies on the planet, notorious for tariffs, trade barriers, and intellectual property theft. But in classic CCP fashion, the editorial painted China as the innocent victim and Trump as a reckless bully bent on disrupting the supposedly noble “win-win” global order.
The Global Times went so far as to invoke America’s “moral failings,” claiming, “More importantly, China stands on the side of morality and historical righteousness,” and accusing the U.S. of harming “vulnerable nations” through its tariffs.
This sermon on global fairness came from a regime that uses slave labor, crushes dissent, and pollutes with impunity to undercut foreign competitors. But self-awareness has never been a hallmark of the Chinese Communist Party.
The editorial tried to claim that Trump’s tariffs were backfiring by quoting California Governor Gavin Newsom, who said, “California is not Washington,” and vowed to maintain “strategic trade relationships” on his own. That’s hardly a national movement, but Beijing is desperate to find allies inside the U.S.—even if it’s just one leftist governor who might sell out American manufacturing to keep cheap imports flowing.
The outburst was triggered by Trump’s announcement of a new 104% tariff on Chinese imports, set to kick in at midnight. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said China had made a mistake by retaliating and warned that the president would hit back harder, stating, “When America is punched, he punches back harder.”
Meanwhile, China is trying to prop up its teetering economy with currency manipulation and market interventions. The BBC reported this week that China deliberately weakened its currency to make exports cheaper and ordered state-run enterprises to buy up stocks to “stabilize” markets. That’s hardly the move of a confident, invincible economic power.
On top of that, Beijing is scrambling to hide the growing cracks in its system. A Chinese researcher who criticized the regime’s retaliation against Trump had his entire department shut down, and the regime quickly censored his post. The New York Times reported Monday that the CCP is desperately trying to “censor bad economic news,” a sign of just how fragile things are behind the red curtain.
This entire tantrum from the Global Times reeks of fear. They know Trump is serious. He’s not afraid to confront their decades-long manipulation of the global trading system, and for once, they’re facing real consequences. Trump’s America First tariffs aren’t just about economics—they’re about restoring American strength, independence, and leverage on the world stage.
Beijing can scream about “morality” all it wants, but the facts speak for themselves: China has had a free ride for decades. Now that Trump’s forcing them to play fair, they’re coming unglued. And the more they lash out, the more obvious it becomes—they’re losing control.
