Chinese netizens hit out at US President over belated festive greeting

SINGAPORE — United States President Donald Trump’s belated Chinese New year wishes to China have drawn the ire of Chinese netizens, with some asking why he sent it only towards the end of the festivities.

“The greeting has come too late,” stated a Chinese netizen on Weibo microblog. 

“Why didn’t he send a greeting during the lunar new year?” asked another netizen.

Several other netizens also wrote on Weibo that: “He (Mr Trump) can hide on the first day of the Lunar New Year, but not the entire 15 days”. They were referring to a Chinese saying that if someone has done something wrong, punishment will come sooner or later and it is pointless to avoid it.

Early on Thursday (Feb 9), the White House said in a statement that Mr Trump sent Chinese President Xi Jinping a letter wishing the Chinese people a “happy Lantern Festival (the 15th day of the Chinese New Year) and a prosperous Year of the Rooster”.

The two leaders have not spoken to each other since Mr Trump took office on Jan 20, although they did talk soon after he won the US presidential election in November. 

Mr Trump upset China in December by taking a phone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. 

China considers Taiwan a wayward province with no right to formal diplomatic relations with any other country.

Mr Trump has also threatened to slap tariffs on Chinese imports, accusing Beijing of devaluing its yuan currency and stealing US jobs.

In the lead up to the first day of Chinese New Year on Jan 28, Chinese netizens were infuriated with how the American leader broke long-standing diplomatic protocol by failing to issue a standard new year greeting. 

Other world leaders such as British Prime Minister Theresa May had issued video statements sending their best wishes to all those around the world celebrating the Chinese New Year.

Even though Mr Trump issued no formal greeting to the Chinese people until Thursday, his daughter Ivanka Trump had earlier posted a video of her daughter Arabella singing in Mandarin to celebrate Chinese New Year. The video went viral on Chinese social media.

“Trump should take a lesson in manners from his granddaughter,” wrote a netizen.

“All of his family members are more intelligent than Trump,” commented another Weibo user.

But some netizens cautioned against over-hyping the issue.

“For Christmas, does the Chinese President wish all Americans a merry Christmas?” one Weibo user asked rhetorically before the Chinese New Year. 

“Who cares if Trump doesn’t wish us a happy new year? Are you going to stop celebrating because of that?” commented another. AGENCIES