As the United States escalates its trade offensive against China, Beijing has begun censoring social media content related to tariffs, even as anti-US sentiment finds viral expression online.
China&rsquo;s internet watchdogs have blocked hashtags and search terms like &ldquo;tariff&rdquo; and &ldquo;104&rdquo; &mdash; the percentage figure for cumulative US tariffs &mdash; on major domestic platforms including Weibo and WeChat. Users searching for these terms were met with error messages such as &ldquo;Sorry, the content of this topic is not displayed,&rdquo; according to reports by Reuters and The New York Times.
The move comes after US President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods to a staggering 125%, triggering a fresh round of retaliatory tariffs from Beijing that now total 84%. This marks the fifth tariff hike since Trump took office and follows a back-and-forth tit-for-tat that began with more modest 10% increases in early 2024.
While China censors criticism of its own position, social media platforms have allowed posts mocking the United States to flourish.
One viral hashtag that gained traction was #UShastradewarandaneggshortage, initiated by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV (China Central Television). The post mocked Washington for simultaneously imposing tariffs on global partners while allegedly seeking egg imports from European countries.
WeChat also took down several posts from Chinese companies that highlighted the negative business impact of US tariffs. These posts were labelled as &ldquo;suspected of violating relevant laws, regulations, and policies.&rdquo;
Furthermore, China&rsquo;s Ministry of Commerce has condemned the US actions as &ldquo;economic blackmail&rdquo; and pledged to respond with firm countermeasures. Prominent voices on Chinese social media, including Beijing lawyer Pang Jiulin and commentator Hu Xijin, have called on the government to &ldquo;fight to the end,&rdquo; asserting that the US will ultimately face global isolation for its aggressive trade stance.
Hu didn&rsquo;t mince words, stating, &ldquo;Trump&rsquo;s team is really delusional&hellip; Their reciprocal tariffs will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history for future generations to laugh at.&rdquo;
Despite Monday&rsquo;s panic-driven drop in the Shanghai Composite Index, which fell 7% in its worst trading day in five years, Chinese stocks rebounded midweek following state pledges to support local markets.
Meanwhile, Beijing has warned its citizens to &ldquo;assess the risks&rdquo; before travelling to the United States, further signalling a deteriorating bilateral relationship that is now playing out across trade, tech, travel, and social media domains.
As tensions intensify, the world&rsquo;s two largest economies appear headed toward a prolonged and highly politicized trade conflict &mdash; one that is as much about perception and narrative control as it is about actual commerce.
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Both the US and China are locked in a trade war

Weibo and WeChat block keywords amid 125% tariffs; mocking hashtags against US go viral

China Censors ‘Tariff’ Talk as US Trade War Heats Up

Weibo and WeChat block keywords amid 125% tariffs; mocking hashtags against US go viral

April 10, 2025 | 16:36 IST