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JD Vance Faces Global Backlash Over ‘Chinese Peasants’ Comment : China criticizes US Vice President's language as outdated and disrespectful
Vice President JD Vance is facing strong criticism from China after a controversial remark he made about Chinese workers during a televised interview. The comment, which referred to Chinese factory workers as “Chinese peasants,” has triggered international backlash and sparked heated discussion across social media in China.
The remark came during an interview with Fox News on Thursday, where Vance defended former President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and criticized globalization. While addressing the impact of global trade, he said:
“We borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture.”
China’s Foreign Ministry calls the comment "ignorant"
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded swiftly. At a regular press briefing on Tuesday, ministry spokesperson Lin Jian condemned Vance’s comment, calling it both “astonishing” and “lamentable.” Lin said it was “ignorant and disrespectful” for someone in such a high political office to speak that way about another nation’s people.
The criticism didn't end there. Vance’s remarks quickly spread across Chinese social media, especially the microblogging site Weibo. A hashtag related to his comment became the top trending topic, amassing more than 140 million views by Tuesday afternoon.
Social media users in China fire back with irony
Many online users in China expressed outrage, while also pointing out what they saw as hypocrisy in Vance’s words. Several noted that he had built his public image around his working-class background in rural Appalachia—an upbringing he detailed in his best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy.
One user wrote:
“We may be peasants, but we have high-speed rail, advanced AI, and drone technology. Not bad for peasants, right?”
Another comment that received thousands of likes read:
“This ‘hillbilly’ from rural America should visit China and see for himself.”
Hu Xijin, the influential former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, also joined the chorus of criticism, saying Vance’s words reflected a lack of perspective and inviting him to visit modern China firsthand.
Vance's background adds to the controversy
JD Vance rose to national prominence after publishing Hillbilly Elegy in 2016. The book chronicled his life growing up in a struggling, working-class family in Ohio and Kentucky, often describing rural poverty, addiction, and social decay. His story was seen as a window into the world of the White working class that supported Trump’s 2016 presidential run.
Critics of Vance are now pointing out the irony in his comments about “peasants” abroad, noting that his political brand was built on speaking for working-class Americans who have often been dismissed or stereotyped themselves.
No official response from Vance’s office
As of now, Vice President Vance’s office has not responded to requests for comment or addressed the growing criticism from China and online users around the world.
