Recent meeting between leaders of the United States and China in South Korea has resulted in a temporary truce in the trade war between the two countries. According to sources, following the “Trump-Xi meeting,” the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda department issued verbal instructions to reduce criticism of the United States in the near future. This directive is in line with a pattern where the CCP’s public opinion shifts based on diplomatic needs.
After the summit between U.S. President Trump (Donald Trump) and Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping on October 30 in South Korea, the trade war between the U.S. and China saw a temporary ceasefire. China immediately started purchasing American agricultural products and temporarily halted retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports.
The White House has revealed that China has pledged to purchase at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans in the last two months of 2025, and to buy a minimum of 25 million metric tons annually in the next three years.
Remarkably, the Trump-Xi meeting this time avoided the issue of Taiwan. Trump mentioned in an interview with CBS that Xi Jinping did not bring up Taiwan during their talks, stating, “Because they know the consequences.”
On November 6, Chinese-Canadian writer and activist Sheng Xue disclosed on social media that a friend working within the CCP propaganda system revealed that they received verbal instructions post ‘Trump-Xi meeting’ – not to criticize the U.S. too much in the near future.
Sheng Xue noted that this news was not surprising, as a simple “do not” reflects the entirety of the CCP’s propaganda system’s directive. After this order was issued, related topics on Chinese social media rapidly cooled down, official media opinions softened, and large overseas propaganda accounts related to the U.S. also became quiet.
Sheng Xue described the CCP’s manipulation of American public opinion as having clear “spring-like” characteristics: the U.S. is designated as the main adversary by the CCP, a stance that has never changed. However, as the CCP often needs the U.S. to navigate through international relations, its propaganda against the U.S. usually transforms from “hostile criticism” to “praising America as rational, cooperation-worthy, and maintaining a lasting friendship” when relations need to be eased.
Despite the difficulty in verifying the CCP’s directives to tone down propaganda against the U.S., the consistent shifts in CCP’s public opinion show a correlation to its diplomatic needs and activities.
Back in May 2019, during the escalating U.S.-China trade war, Chinese state media actively stirred anti-U.S. sentiments among the public. CCTV6, the movie channel, switched to a “Resist America, Aid Korea” mode, altering its program schedule to broadcast old films centered on the Korean War for three consecutive evenings.
Sheng Xue pointed out in her social media post that following the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989, where the CCP cracked down on protests, all American and Japanese TV series were abruptly pulled from the air and replaced with war-themed films like “Underground Battle,” “Heroes and Heroines,” and “Northern Expedition and Southern War.”
In November 2023, just before Xi Jinping attended the APEC summit in the U.S. and met with then-President Biden, Chinese official media suddenly shifted from a confrontational style to advocating for a “return to normalcy” in U.S.-China relations.
The highly expensive Chinese drama “The Battle at Lake Changjin,” which glorified China’s role in the Korean War while disparaging the U.S., was scheduled to air on CCTV but was replaced by “Home is Where the Heart Lies” on November 13 that year. The CCP’s media abruptly shifted from anti-U.S. rhetoric to a more pro-American tone.
Historical scholar Li Yuanhua in Australia previously stated that CCTV reflects the CCP’s stance, showing a consistent pattern of adjusting propaganda messaging based on its diplomatic needs.
Even Chinese investors have devised a set of “stock market operating rules”: sell everything when CCTV airs “The Battle at Lake Changjin” or “Chosin Reservoir,” buy heavily when “The Unfailing Love in Huanghe” airs, and go all in with leverage when “Finding Mr. Right in Beijing” is played. This trading strategy reflects the significant impact of U.S.-China relations on the CCP’s economic development and market confidence.