Some Beijing netizens mocked the situation, saying the U.S. is practically “on its knees, begging the Beijing government for rare earths.”
Meanwhile, IPs from Shanghai expressed a different view, arguing that the U.S. shouldn’t be treated this way.
They warn that such posturing will only make the cost of the trade war fall on ordinary Chinese citizens.
Shanghai commentators stressed that due to the tariffs, the Chinese government can no longer afford this kind of brinkmanship, making the high-handed stance unnecessary.
Some southern Chinese netizens actually want China to lose the trade war with the U.S. — and here’s why：
So, in the recent U.S.-China trade tensions, there’s an interesting split among Chinese netizens. Some people from southern China are actually siding with the U.S. and hoping China “loses” the trade war. Sounds crazy? It makes more sense when you look at the economic and political reasons behind it:
1. Anti-Communism / Anti-Authoritarianism
Many of these netizens are critical of the current Chinese system. They see the Communist Party / one-party rule as concentrating power and resources in the hands of a few elites, leaving ordinary citizens with little participation or benefit.
Their anger isn’t just economic — it’s ideological. They don’t want state policies to keep strengthening elite power while screwing over the bottom layers of society.
2. Economic Inequality
The benefits of China’s foreign trade have mostly gone to coastal megacities, state-owned enterprise executives, and central elites. Small businesses and ordinary workers, especially in the south, barely get anything.
So even if China “loses” to the U.S., the bottom layer might actually avoid most of the damage, while the elites take the hit.
3. Distrust of Beijing’s comprador elites
Beijing is seen as serving international capital and internal vested interests rather than ordinary people. Criticizing national policy from a “pro-U.S.” stance is really a proxy for frustration with domestic power structures.
4. Rational calculation about trade war costs
Tariffs and trade tensions raise domestic business costs and squeeze ordinary people. Many southern netizens think Beijing shouldn’t bluff so hard.
If China “loses,” it might force systemic concessions or adjustments, ultimately reducing the burden on the bottom layers.
