Tariffs extend to online psychological warfare, TikTok influencers encourage Americans to buy Nike and other products directly from Chinese factories.

American TikTok users are being inundated with a flood of Chinese influencer videos that encourage American buyers to purchase directly from "the world’s factory" China to avoid the impact of Trump’s punitive tariffs. The Sino-U.S. trade war has already extended into a psychological warfare on the internet.

TikTok is flooded with a large number of videos encouraging Americans to buy goods directly from Chinese factories.

According to a report by Bloomberg, a large number of videos have recently flooded TikTok, claiming to film Chinese factories supplying American brands like Lululemon and Nike, with the aim of "exposing" how the vast majority of consumer goods are produced in the world's second-largest economy. Many videos provide website URLs and contact information, allowing viewers to place orders directly with these suppliers. Creators are shouting loudly:

Why not contact us directly and purchase from us? You absolutely won't believe the price we can offer you.

TikTok creator @LunaSourcingChina stands outside a factory she claims produces yoga pants for Lululemon, stating that the production cost of these pants is only 5 to 6 dollars, while the retail price in the United States exceeds 100 dollars. She said, "In terms of materials and craftsmanship, they are basically the same."

TikTok's algorithm is carefully orchestrating an online psychological warfare.

The emergence of a large number of similar videos in a short period indicates a strong backlash against President Trump's series of tariffs, especially the 145% tariff imposed on China. Although it is currently unclear whether ordering directly from Chinese suppliers will allow consumers to avoid tariffs, as the tariff exemption for small packages sent to American households will also be canceled on May 2, these videos reflect the current global reaction to Trump's tariffs and the narrative from the White House claiming that these economic measures align with American interests.

These大量 posts also reflect the increasing impact of Chinese creators on American daily life. TikTok's algorithm and its ability to influence the information seen by millions of American users is one of the main drivers behind the U.S. government's push for Chinese parent company ByteDance to relinquish control of its international operations.

Alex Goldenberg, a senior consultant at Rutgers University's Department of Communication, stated:

"This seems to be a well-orchestrated campaign aimed at using TikTok to undermine Trump's tariff policy towards China, promoting Chinese manufacturing as a cheaper, more desirable, and more accessible alternative, even encouraging people to violate trade restrictions."

Amid uncertainty regarding the use of TikTok among American users, other Chinese social media applications, such as Xiaohongshu, have also gained popularity among young American users.

There are still people vigorously advocating for Americans to carry out a revolution:

"For decades, your government and oligarchs have outsourced jobs to China, not for diplomacy, not for peace, but to exploit cheap labor. In the process, they have hollowed out your middle class, destroyed the working class, and told you to be proud of it, while they sell your future for profit. Americans, you don't need tariffs; what you need is a revolution."

It seems that the Sino-US trade war has already extended to an online psychological warfare. Whether the Trump administration will accelerate the TikTok deal because of this remains to be seen.

This article discusses how tariffs extend to online psychological warfare, with TikTok influencers encouraging Americans to buy Nike and other products directly from Chinese factories. It first appeared in Chain News ABMedia.