China hit US President Donald Trump with his own catchphrase, saying that his sweeping tariffs hurt American businesses and ordinary people, which is the complete opposite of what MAGA was supposed to be about.

Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods “not only failed to boost the economic growth in the US but caused serious harm” to its people, the Chinese government said in a white paper on trade, published on Sunday.

The officials argued that the measures imposed by Washington make production costs go up, as “many” US manufacturers rely on Chinese raw materials. They also increased domestic prices because the tariffs make it harder to import “affordable” consumer goods from Beijing.

In other words, “the trade war has not made America ‘great again,’” the government said.

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This was an obvious jab at Donald Trump’s famous campaign slogan and catchphrase. The words ‘Make America Great Again’, often shortened to ‘MAGA’, appear on much of his merchandise, including the trademark red MAGA hats.

During the election and afterwards, Trump insisted that fighting Beijing’s “unfair” trade policies with tariffs will be one way to make the US “great again.”

Following up on his campaign promises, the president slapped China with tariffs last year. Beijing retaliated by placing duties on a number of US goods. The nations then held talks over trade but failed to reach an agreement, blaming each other’s negotiation tactics.

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