China Releases Hard-Hitting Bilingual Video “China Won't Kneel Down!”

On April 29, amid the ongoing China-US trade war, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) published a high-profile bilingual video titled “China Won't Kneel Down!” on its official WeChat account. The video sharply criticizes the United States for launching a global tariff storm, sidelining China, and coercing other countries to restrict economic and trade cooperation with China. The video likens this to the eye of a typhoon where murderous threat is hidden-“Bowing to a bully is like drinking poison to quench thirst. It only deepens the crisis”- and firmly declares, “China will never kneel!” History, the video argues, has proven that “compromise won’t earn you mercy. Kneeling only invites more bullying.”

Screenshot from the MFA video

The video opens with a rhetorical question:

“Have you heard of the eye of the storm? It appears calm for a moment, but is actually a deadly trap. The calm before an even fiercer storm. The US has stirred up a global tariff storm and deliberately targeted China, playing a ‘90-day pause’ game with other nations, forcing them to limit trade with China. This is just like the deadly trap of the eye of the storm. Bowing to a bully is like drinking poison to quench thirst. It only deepens the crisis.”

Screenshot from the MFA video

The video then details past US acts of “hegemonic behavior,” stating:

“The US once accused Japan of dumping semiconductors and crushed companies like Toshiba. Later, it forced Japan to sign the Plaza Accord, pushing the economy into decades of anemic growth. The US also used long-arm jurisdiction as a weapon, breaking up France’s industrial giant Alstom, robbing the country of a national champion. History has proven compromise won’t earn you mercy. Kneeling only invites more bullying.”

The MFA underscores:

“China won’t kneel down. Because we know, standing up for ourselves keeps the possibility of cooperation alive. While compromise snuffs it out, China won’t back down. So the voices of the weak will be heard, bullying will be stopped, and justice will not disappear from the world.”

Screenshot from the MFA video

The video continues:

“All bullies are just paper tigers. The US does not represent the entire world. Its trade makes up less than a fifth of the world’s total. When the rest of the world stands together in solidarity, the US is just a small, stranded boat. Imperialists are always arrogant. If they show a bit of reason, it’s only because they’re forced to do so. Make no mistake, the US will keep flip-flopping and playing hardball. But China will stand firm, no matter how hard the wind blows, no matter how clouds rage. The darker the night, the brighter the stars shine. Someone has to step forward, torch in hand, to shatter the fog and illuminate the path ahead. When every nation stands tall, the world will break through the walls of hegemony. For China, for the world, we must rise and fight on.”

Screenshot from the MFA video

Meanwhile, Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, reiterated China’s position at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He stated that the US is using tariffs as bargaining chips to extort exorbitant demands from other countries. If the international community chooses silence, compromise, or retreat, it will only embolden the bully. Wang stressed that BRICS nations should jointly oppose all forms of protectionism.

Wang Yi emphasized that multilateralism is the cornerstone of the post-WWII international order, and solidarity and cooperation are the greatest common denominators of the international community. However, some countries have developed a seriously distorted understanding of the world; the US pursues unilateralism and “America First,” placing its own interests above the global public good.  While the current international system underpins global stability and prosperity, the US -- as its biggest beneficiary -- is now undermining it.

Wang further stated that “the law of the jungle” is making a comeback, with coercion and bullying no longer disguised, and the foundations of international relations under continuous threat. He stressed that defending multilateral trade rules is now the most urgent task. Trade, by nature, is about complementary strengths and mutual benefit, not a tool for selfish gain. BRICS countries, he said, should resolutely oppose all forms of protectionism, uphold a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, maintain its core values and basic principles, and promote trade liberalization and facilitation.

Mao Paishou

** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **

On April 21, U.S. President Donald Trump posted three photos on his social media platform Truth Social, captioned “A Gift from China in the Pacific Ocean!” The images showed large amounts of trash floating in the ocean. However, media investigations revealed that these photos were old images circulating online for years, some not even from the Pacific Ocean, and one was digitally altered. The Chinese state media WeChat public account “Bull Piano” (Niu Tanqin) criticized Trump, saying he should issue a public, serious, and solemn apology for spreading falsehoods.

“Bull Piano” published an article on Monday (April 28) stating that Trump posted three pictures showing massive ocean garbage, claiming it was a “gift from China.” But the photos were either outdated or outright fake. The article pointed out the irony that Trump, who often condemns “fake news,” was actually fabricating stories to slander and demonize China.

Trump posted three pictures showing massive ocean garbage, claiming it was a “gift from China.”

As the U.S. president, Trump’s posts attracted wide attention and many shares. The images of dense ocean trash were shocking, and Trump immediately blamed China without any proof. The article questioned how Trump could prove the trash originated from China, given the vast number of islands and countries in the Pacific. It argued that it was not easy for Chinese naval forces to bypass the so-called first and second island chains in the Pacific while this trash supposedly floated freely.

Mainland media soon exposed the lies with evidence, pointing out clear flaws in each photo:

The first photo was taken by nature photographer Ethan Daniels

The first photo was taken by nature photographer Ethan Daniels in July 2017 near Raja Ampat of West Papua in Indonesia, further east and south of the Philippines, separated from China by many islands.

The second photo was posted by underwater photographer Caroline Power on Facebook in 2017.

The second photo, taken near Roatan Island in northern Honduras, was posted by underwater photographer Caroline Power on Facebook in 2017. At the time, media reported that the trash came from neighboring Guatemala, but this area is not in the Pacific but in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, much closer to the U.S.

The third photo was found to be a composite image。

The third photo was found to be a composite image: the left side was an Associated Press photo of a floating barrier assembled in California to collect ocean trash; the right side was another trash photo by Caroline Power, which had been published by multiple media.

“Bull Piano” questioned where Trump found these images and criticized that he posted them without any fact-checking, causing a major embarrassment and making the world laugh at him. It said it was hard to imagine if Chinese officials did the same by using old or doctored photos to accuse the U.S., which would become a diplomatic incident. The article also questioned the competence of those preparing materials for Trump, suggesting they lacked basic journalistic literacy.

The article emphasized that deliberately spreading rumors to smear another country, especially by a leader, requires careful words and deeds. Since Trump is not an ordinary netizen, the consequences could be serious, possibly requiring not only an apology but administrative detention in some countries. Given the clear evidence, the U.S. should apologize, and if Trump is too embarrassed to do so, the White House spokesperson should issue a formal apology on his behalf.

The article also noted a recent phenomenon: U.S. officials keep hinting or openly stating that talks with China are ongoing daily and that tariff agreements are imminent. This forced China’s Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Commerce, and embassy in the U.S. repeatedly clarify that there is no contact, negotiations, nor agreements. The article concluded that Americans are anxious while the Chinese remain calm.

In a humorous twist at the end of the article, it quips, 'A friend suddenly had an epiphany: there’s a significant possibility that the American leader might have received a scam call from one of those notorious fraud hubs from Myanmar!'