A video sarcastically thanking President Donald Trump for starting a trade war—and cheerfully pointing out all the ways China has improved since the tariff battles began—appeared on Chinese state media Monday. Just as the video began to gain popularity, however, it was removed from all platforms, The New York Times reports.
China Global Television Network (CGTN), the country’s largest broadcaster, published the English-language video, which began “Thanks Mr. Trump, you are GREAT!” Over unflattering images of the U.S. President, CGTN anchor Cheng Lei continued reading an open letter to Trump.
“Thank you for re-instilling in the Chinese a sense of HUMILITY,” she said, according to the South China Morning Post. “How can there be enough gratitude for highlighting the foibles of overconfidence and self-congratulation, never a virtue except in your case.”
The video also thanked Trump for helping the rest of the world to “bond,” and for forcing China to make economic reforms that attracted businesses such as Tesla. The video even made light of the tariffs themselves, saying, “On behalf of doctors, thank you for pointing out the need to wean off American goods like bourbon and bacon.”
Chinese media has for the most part avoided personal attacks on Trump, but the Times reports the reins have been loosened in recent months as the trade war mounts. In another video from early August, CGTN depicted Trump on a toilet, labeling him a septuagenarian who “can sit on his toilet at 5 in the morning and post a tweet that makes you question his sanity.”
While that video still remains online, the trade war video has been removed from all platforms, perhaps to avoid retaliatory measures from the U.S., the Times reports.