Trump’s tweets part of ‘propaganda and psychological war’ as China defends second quarter growth rate

US President Donald Trump sent two tweets on Twitter after China’s second quarter growth rate was confirmed as the lowest since records began in 1992

Commentary published on Tuesday by the ‘Global Times’ suggested Washington was trying to ‘scare’ China into a deal to end the trade war

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US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping agreed a trade war truce at the G20 summit in Osaka at the end of June. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:00pm, 16 Jul 2019Updated: 11:37am, 17 Jul 2019

US President Donald Trump exaggerated his criticism of China’s economy, according to a state-run newspaper, suggesting Washington was attempting to step up its propaganda and psychological efforts to pressure Beijing into a deal to end the trade war.

Trump’s need to sway voters ahead of next year’s presidential election promoted him to over-interpret China’s second quarter growth data which was released on Monday, according to a commentary published on Tuesday by the Global Times, a hardline, nationalist Chinese tabloid.

“In addition to trying to scare China, Washington also wanted to promote its trade actions and to reduce the voices of dissatisfaction [with the trade war] in the US,” it wrote in response to Trump’s tweets on Monday morning.

But, “isn’t it odd [for Washington] to have such confidence [to laugh at China],” the newspaper added, pointing out that China’s second quarter growth rate of 6.2 per cent was more than twice that of the United States.

The US economy grew at an annualised rate of 3.1 per cent in the first quarter, with initial second quarter growth data due next week.

The sharp criticism came after Trump claimed credit for China’s second quarter growth rate, which was the slowest since records began in the first quarter of 1992.

“The United States tariffs are having a major effect on companies wanting to leave China for non-tariffed countries. Thousands of companies are leaving,” he wrote.