‘Stop interfering in China’s internal affairs’: patriotic products quoting US-Alaska summit take off online on Taobao
- A slew of products bearing the words of China’s foreign policy chief have flooded China’s online stores including lighters, T-shirts, hoodies, and bags
- Many approve of aggressive and defiant tone struck at fiery meeting and compare to China’s humiliation by the West more than a century ago
Clothing carrying quotes from China’s foreign policy chief Yang Jiechi including: “The United States is not qualified to be condescending in its tone when speaking to China. We Chinese people don’t buy it”, and “stop interfering in China’s internal politics”, have become popular online.
Many shoppers online said by contrast they found the US’ comments displayed a “rude and unreasonable attitude”.
Others said they felt especially proud after comparing China’s current behavior with more than a century ago when humiliating international treaties were forced on the nation by the West and Japan, a period that still angers many in China today.
“China is not what it was before,” wrote one person at news portal 163.com. “We have the confidence to talk to the US aggressively.”
In the past few days products including T-shirts, hoodies, vacuum mugs, umbrellas, canvas bags, cigarette lighters, mobile phone cases, pants, and beers carrying Yang’s comments have been sold at the mainland’s online shopping website Taobao.
They are labelled as “patriotic products” and can be shipped immediately according to the ads. Some are also in English such as T-shirts with: “Stop interfering in China’s internal affairs”.
One online shop in Wuhan has sold over 200 hoodies with a red background and white words for 79 yuan (US$12) each already. It has sold more than 1,000 T-shirts in the same style for 39 yuan (US$6), according to trade statistics shown on the website, the South China Morning Post found.
“I don’t spend time talking useless words, but making orders instantly. I want all those derivative products, like T-shirts, bags and phone cases,” wrote one user at Taobao.
“Look at this speed [of producing the goods]. Thumbs up to the patriotic enthusiasm,” another person wrote.
A man surnamed Wang said he saw the photos of these “patriotic” products on social media on Saturday and bought a hoodie at an online store the same day, the China News Service reports.
“I am touched by the words that we ‘Chinese people don’t buy it’. I am willing to pay some money for it,” he was quoted as saying.
