Ivanka Trump’s ‘Chinese proverb’ tweet leaves China totally baffled
Internet users struggle to find any Chinese sayings that match the daughter of the US president’s high-profile message on social media
A tweet by Ivanka Trump referring to a Chinese proverb has baffled internet users in China as they tried to figure out exactly which one she was referring to.
Ivanka, the daughter of US President Donald Trump, had posted on her Twitter account on Monday: “‘Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.’ – Chinese Proverb”
The tweet, which was pinned to the top of her Twitter account, came hours ahead of her father’s historic summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore on Tuesday.
Ivanka Trump made no reference to the meeting, but many internet users immediately assumed her post was linked.
Twitter is blocked in mainland China, but screenshots of the tweet soon went viral on the social media site Weibo as users debated the origin of the quotation.
Dozens of Chinese proverbs, some dating back thousands of years, were posted in an attempt to identify the source.
Top candidates included “Those who accomplish great things do not seek opinions from the ordinary” from The Book of Lord Shang.