A lead Chinese diplomat invoked Mao Zedong to show Chinese resilience in the face of a trade war with the United States.
In response to the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China, Chinese Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning posted a video of a speech by the former Chinese dictator. In the Feb. 7, 1953 speech at the Fourth Session of the First National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mao Zedong vowed to keep fighting the Korean War until its successful conclusion.
“As to how long this war will last, we are not the ones who can decide. It used to depend on President [Harry S.] Truman, and it will depend on President [Dwight D.] Eisenhower or whoever becomes the next U.S. president. It’s up to them. No matter how long this war is going to last, we’ll never yield! We’ll fight until we completely triumph!” he said to cheers.
“We are Chinese. We are not afraid of provocations. We don’t back down,” Mao Ning captioned the video, alongside a Chinese flag emoji.
The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. replied likewise, saying, “We don’t back down,” alongside a Chinese flag emoji.
The posting of the speech by a Chinese official referencing the last time U.S. and Chinese forces exchanged blows marks a significant escalation in rhetoric.
While the Korean War is often known as the “Forgotten War” in the U.S., it forms a central part of the Chinese national mythos. Though it ended in a draw, the infant People’s Liberation Army’s ability to push U.S. forces south of the 38th Parallel in the opening months of the Chinese intervention served as a major point of pride for modern Chinese.
The Korean War is a frequent feature in Chinese popular culture. It was the subject of the anti-U.S. propaganda film The Battle at Lake Changjin and its sequel. The first film became the highest-grossing Chinese film until it was surpassed by the animated movie Ne Zha 2 in February.
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The over-the-top depiction of Americans in the movies makes it a frequent subject of mockery on social media in the West.
President Donald Trump escalated his trade war against China while pausing tariffs on most other countries. The latest tariffs on Chinese goods are 125%, while those on U.S. goods are 84%.