'If the perpetrator wants to fight, we will beat him out of his wits': Song about ongoing trade war with the US goes viral in China
- A propaganda song, titled "Trade War," about the US-China trade war has gone viral across Chinese social media.
- The song's lyrics were written by retired Chinese official Zhao Liangtian, and it was posted in a group on the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat. It has since gone viral and inspired a music music video, which has been shared across social media.
- According to a translation of the song by the Bloomberg, the lyrics feature a call to beat the enemy "out of its wits."
- The trade war between the US and China has heightened in recent weeks with a series of tit-for-tat tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of imports.
A propaganda song, titled "Trade War," about the US-China trade war has gone viral across Chinese social media.
The song, written by retired Chinese official Zhao Liangtian, was posted in a group on the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat. The musical number has since gone viral and inspired a music music video, which has been widely shared across social media and watched thousands of times.
According to a translation of the propaganda song by Bloomberg, the lyrics feature a call to beat the enemy "out of its wits."
The music video features a fist surrounded by flames as Chinese flags and imagery flash in the background. Zhao's lyrics were set to a well-known anti-Japanese wartime propaganda theme from a 1960s film called "Tunnel War," according to reports.
"I chose 'Tunnel War' because that [movie] is reminiscent of the similar situation that China is facing today," Zhao Liangtian told Bloomberg on Monday. "Since the trade war broke out, I felt the urge to do something."
"Trade war! Trade War! Not afraid of the outrageous challenge! Not afraid of the outrageous challenge! A trade war is happening over the Pacific Ocean!" the song chants.
"If the perpetrator wants to fight, we will beat him out of his wits," it continues, Bloomberg reports.
The trade war between the US and China has heightened in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, top US and Chinese officials met in Washington to negotiate a resolution to the escalating trade war between the two countries. As negotiations took a turn, Trump announced tariff increases on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods on a wide array of products including minerals, food, and clothing. China retaliated by saying it would raise duties on $60 billion worth of American goods starting June 1.
The countries are also facing a battle on the tech front, as Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei was added to a US trade blacklist which prevents the company from buying parts and components from American companies without US government approval.
Several major US tech companies, including Google are said to be cutting ties with the company in response.