Former U.S. President Trump’s rebirth after the assassination attempt has triggered a butterfly effect in China as well. On the night of the incident, the relevant news articles on Chinese websites garnered over 1 billion views and trended, with some Chinese e-commerce platforms seizing the opportunity to sell T-shirts featuring Trump raising his fist, leading to a surge in stock prices for certain companies.
The news of Trump’s assassination attempt topped social media trends that day, with the viewership of related news on CCTV reaching 780 million. By the evening, the topic of “Bullet Pierces Trump’s Right Ear” had reached a viewership of 660 million and generated 153,000 discussions, holding the top spot on the trending list for over 12 hours. It continued to lead on the hot search lists of Baidu and Weibo.
Following the incident, some savvy Chinese e-commerce operators promptly capitalized on the opportunity by printing Trump’s fist-raising photo on T-shirts, leveraging the impact and attention of the event for online sales.
Reportedly, at 8 p.m. on the night of Trump’s assassination attempt, a group of sellers had already launched “Trump Gunshot T-shirts” on Taobao, priced on average at tens of yuan. Within three hours, they received over 2,000 orders from China and the United States. However, this wave of gains on domestic Chinese e-commerce platforms was short-lived, as major platforms quickly ceased showing any information about the related products.
In addition, on July 15, A-share listed company Chengda Zhisheng, dubbed by Chinese investors as the “Trump Concept Stock,” hit the limit-up, closing at 11.22 yuan (about $1.54).
Chengda Zhisheng has no business or equity relationship with Trump, but its name implies Trump’s victory in the election, leading to it being elevated to a “Trump Concept Stock” among investors.
As early as Trump’s victory in the 2016 election, Chengda Zhisheng had hit the limit-up due to the pun on “Trump’s great victory.” During the 2020 U.S. election period, the stock price of the company fluctuated in line with Trump’s election situation; it rose when Trump temporarily led and fell when Biden surpassed him, creating a unique linkage effect.
Not only did Chengda Zhisheng hit the limit-up, another stock related to the Trump assassination attempt, Gorel Corporation, leveraging the pun on “ear-cutting,” also rode on Trump’s popularity. On July 15, it made the Snowball Hot Stock List, rising over 4.7% at its peak during the trading day and closing with a 2.17% increase.
Mr. Huang, an e-commerce operator in Shanghai, told Epoch Times that Chinese investors speculating on Chengda Zhisheng and Gorel Corporation are seemingly aiming to profit from the Trump assassination attempt. However, beneath the surface, the support for Trump reflects people’s desire for him to win the U.S. presidential election, also indicating Chinese people’s yearning for a free democratic society.