'X is the global town square...' Elon Musk reacts amid US-China meme war on social media

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has reacted to the ongoing Twitter meme war between the US and China. "X is the global town square, the group chat of Earth," Musk said, quoting a post by X user DogeDesigner @cb_doge that shared one such meme. Memes and films created by AI are becoming increasingly popular as trade tensions between the two nations worsen.

Take a look at the some of the memes:

Also read: Trump Reportedly Mulls Delisting Chinese Stocks Amid Trade War Escalation, But Retail Isn't Flinching Yet

These memes specifically criticize President Donald Trump and his advisors, such as JD Vance and Elon Musk. Debate over tariffs and US manufacturing is sparked by a popular meme film that ridicules the notion of American workers going back to work in clothing manufacturers. DogeDesigner published a political cartoon from the Chinese Embassy in the US that represents coercive diplomacy in the face of rising trade tensions between the US and China. The cartoon shows the US as a bully threatening China with a spiked bat and forcing China to take a lollipop.

Also Read | 'Will ignore further hikes': China hits back at US with 125% retaliatory tariff as trade war worsens

US-China trade tariff war

China unveiled on Friday retaliatory tariffs of 125% on imports of US goods, matching the level imposed by US President Donald Trump on Chinese imports. China’s increased tariffs on US goods — rising from 84 per cent to 125 per cent — will take effect from April 12. 

The new levy came after US President Donald Trump hiked tariffs on Chinese imports to a staggering total of 145 per cent, further triggering the ongoing trade war between the world’s two top economies.  Earlier, Trump announced a 125 per cent tariff on Chinese goods on Wednesday. In retaliation, China imposed 84 per cent tariffs on US imports.