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In a bold and creative move, China’s state-run media is using artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver a message to U.S. President Donald Trump: tariffs could backfire badly. With the help of computer-generated voices, humanoid robots, and even some dark humor, Chinese outlets are producing viral videos online that criticize America’s trade policy and warn of economic fallout for everyday Americans.
These videos, filled with dystopian visuals and dramatic lyrics, aim to highlight how tariffs may increase inflation and bring economic pain to the very people they’re supposed to protect.
CGTN’s AI Video: A Song of Tariffs and Empty Forks
One of the most talked-about videos comes from CGTN, China’s state-run English-language broadcaster. The clip, which is 2 minutes and 42 seconds long, features a somber scene: a woman sitting at a kitchen table, staring at an empty fork. Over the image, an automated female voice sings a melancholy tune, “‘Liberation Day’, you promised us the stars. But tariffs killed our cheap Chinese cars.”
The video’s title references “Liberation Day,” a phrase Trump used when announcing his new tariff policies. But rather than celebrating freedom, the video paints a grim picture of lost access to affordable goods and rising costs for American families.
The video also includes a stark caption at the bottom, “Track is AI-generated. The debt crisis? 100 percent human-made.”
Xinhua’s Robot TARIFF Chooses Destruction Over Duty
Another AI-generated video appeared on the social media page of Xinhua, another major Chinese state news agency. This one features a robot named TARIFF who is ordered to impose high tariffs — but instead of carrying out those orders, the robot self-destructs.
According to the video, the robot couldn’t justify bringing about “trade wars and unrest,” even at the request of its creator. It’s a dramatic — and not-so-subtle — metaphor for how China views the consequences of the U.S. trade strategy.
A War of Tariffs Turns into a War of Words (and Memes)
China’s videos might be flashy and unconventional, but they carry a serious message. Beijing has strongly criticized the tariffs imposed by the United States, which many say have sparked economic instability. On Friday, China hit back with its own set of countermeasures, including new import duties and export restrictions.
Financial experts are warning that this ongoing trade war could hurt consumers, especially in the U.S., where prices on everyday items may rise. There’s also concern about how this could affect the broader economy, possibly triggering a downturn.
Despite these concerns, President Trump has referred to the economic impact as a “disturbance” — a word that downplays the risk, according to critics and international observers.
A Darker View of America’s Future — in Song
CGTN’s AI video doesn’t hold back on its outlook. Over a backdrop of burned-out streets, closed car factories, and robots eerily dancing through ruins, the AI narrator continues to deliver biting lines. One of the most striking, “You taxed each truck, you taxed each tire. Midwest burnin’ in your dumpster fire.”
With lyrics shown in both English and Chinese, the video seems designed to reach both domestic and international audiences. It paints the tariffs not just as poor economic policy, but as actions that could deeply hurt American industries, especially in regions already struggling to recover from past downturns.
Entertainment or Propaganda? Audiences React
While some viewers see the AI videos as a clever and futuristic way to make a point, others view them as part of a broader information war. Critics argue that these videos are less about economics and more about propaganda, designed to influence global opinion and put pressure on the U.S. administration.
Still, it’s clear that China is leaning into technology and satire to get its message across — and it’s catching attention around the world.
A New Frontier in Political Messaging
As global tensions rise over trade and economic policy, it seems media battles are evolving too. With AI-generated content now entering the political arena, the future of public diplomacy might look less like press conferences — and more like viral videos, robotic singers, and snappy one-liners.
Whether these high-tech critiques will have any real impact on policy remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: this isn’t your typical trade war — it’s part economic, part political, and now, unmistakably, part digital.
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