The US-China trade war has taken a new turn online, with Chinese social media users and diplomats accusing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt of hypocrisy after she appeared in a dress reportedly made in China.
The backlash was triggered by a post from Chinese diplomat Zhang Zhisheng, who mocked the contradiction between the Trump administration’s tough stance on China and the origin of Leavitt’s attire.
Zhang, who is the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Denpasar, Indonesia, shared an image of Leavitt wearing the dress and cited a Weibo user who claimed the lace was manufactured in a Chinese factory in Mabu.
“Accusing China is business. Buying in China is life. The beautiful lace on the dress was recognized by an employee of a Chinese company as its product,” Zhang posted on X.
The post quickly went viral, sparking a flurry of responses. Critics accused Leavitt of double standards for wearing a Chinese-made dress while promoting protectionist trade policies. “Leavitt slams Made in China while rocking a Chinese-made dress, hypocrisy much?… Classic politician move: blame China, but keep the cheap goods,” one user wrote.
Another remarked, “How does Karoline Leavitt manage the crushing irony of slamming ‘Made in China’ while strutting in a gorgeous Chinese-made lace dress at the White House podium?”
However, supporters pushed back, claiming the dress might not be of Chinese origin. “Fake news. She’s wearing the French original whereas the advert shows a Chinese copy. It’s funny indeed, but the spin of the tweet is dishonest,” one wrote.
Others said, it could be a case of counterfeit goods. “Chinese people are notorious for bootleg clothes. It’s more likely that they copied a luxury brand’s jacket,” a user said.
The incident has also reignited discussion about Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) merchandise, which critics noted has been produced in China since 2016.
