On Trump’s 100th day, China escalates: ‘Never Kneel’ video slams U.S. tariffs
On the 100th day of President Donald Trump’s second term, China issued a bold challenge to American leadership with the release of a fiery propaganda video titled “Never Kneel Down!” The video, posted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s official X account, @MFA_China, directly addressed Trump’s aggressive trade policies and declared that China would “never kneel down” to U.S. pressure.
The timing of the video’s release on April 29 was significant, coinciding with President Trump’s 100th day in office. The video featured an AI narration warning that when the rest of the world stands together in solidarity, the U.S. is just a small, stranded boat. It accused the U.S. of coercion and labeled American tariff strategy as a “deadly trap.”
The video included footage of U.S. street protesters and claimed that the U.S. had stirred up a global tariff storm. It also featured imagery of the Korean War and the 2021 return of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, portraying both events as symbols of China’s resistance against U.S. pressure.
President Trump’s recent imposition of a 145% tariff on Chinese imports, while granting a 90-day tariff pause for other nations, has effectively isolated China. In response, China retaliated with 125% tariffs on U.S. goods. However, many analysts believe that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is operating from a weaker position in this trade dispute.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that it is up to China to de-escalate the situation, as they sell significantly more to the U.S. than the U.S. sells to them. The CCP’s video, published in both English and Mandarin, uses heavy-handed messaging and historical imagery to portray China as a victim of Western dominance, a common theme in official Chinese media. The video asserts that history has proven compromise won’t earn mercy and that kneeling only invites more bullying.
Amid rising domestic pressure due to record high youth unemployment and slowed GDP growth, China is feeling the economic strain of Trump’s tariffs. The CCP’s saber-rattling comes at a time when the nation can ill-afford further economic pressure.
This is not the first time Trump has challenged China with tariffs. During his first term, he imposed tariffs on over $360 billion in Chinese goods, leading to the Phase One Trade Deal signed in 2020. Now, back in office, Trump’s aggressive trade strategy is making Chinese economic policymakers nervous.
The AI narrator in the video warns that “all bullies are just paper tigers,” while showing imagery of a tiger holding an American flag in its tail. Trump’s tariffs are undeniably putting real economic pressure on Beijing, and it remains to be seen how China will respond to this challenge to its economic dominance.
