As trade tensions between the United States and China intensify, the Chinese government has begun censoring content related to new U.S. tariffs on major social media platforms. This move comes in response to the U.S. imposing a massive 104% tariff on Chinese goods under what it describes as “reciprocal” trade measures affecting dozens of countries.
On Chinese platforms like Weibo, searches for keywords such as “tariff” or “104” were blocked, displaying error messages instead of search results. Similarly, on WeChat, posts by Chinese companies expressing concerns over the economic fallout of the U.S. tariffs were swiftly removed, flagged as violations of national policies and regulations.
While critical commentary about the U.S. was largely promoted, posts with a more introspective or negative tone about China’s economic vulnerability were suppressed. State-run broadcaster CCTV even took a jab at the U.S., launching a viral hashtag linking America’s trade actions to an alleged egg shortage, mockingly highlighting what it sees as contradictions in U.S. policy.
Beijing, on its part, has responded with counter-tariffs and a vow to fight what it describes as “economic blackmail.” However, experts argue that China’s retaliatory options are limited. The U.S. imports far more from China—roughly three times more—than it exports, which could make China’s trade blows less impactful in the short term.
Despite this, voices within China are urging resilience. Influential Weibo user and lawyer Pang Jiulin, who has over 10 million followers, suggested that countries like Vietnam and India could quickly replace China as key exporters to the U.S., and warned that Chinese companies risk losing a crucial market. He also stressed that matching the U.S. tariff level could significantly drive up the cost of American goods in China, such as Apple and Tesla products.
Still, many believe China has no choice but to push back hard. Prominent political commentator Hu Xijin didn’t mince words, declaring that Trump’s team is “delusional” and that their trade strategy will “be nailed to the pillar of shame in history.”
Chinese equities initially suffered under the weight of the escalating tensions, with the Shanghai Composite Index plunging 7% in its worst day in five years. However, markets stabilized on Wednesday after state-backed assurances to support domestic stocks.
As the world’s two largest economies inch closer to an all-out trade war, the digital battleground within China offers a glimpse into how the country is managing internal narratives while bracing for more economic shocks.
