The Chinese Communist Party is upset with Vice President JD Vance after he asserted that his country is borrowing money from “Chinese peasants.”

Beijing’s complaints stem from an interview the vice president gave to Fox News last week in which he defended President Donald Trump’s tariff policy as a method of deglobalizing the U.S. economy.

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“I think it’s useful for all of us to step back and ask ourselves: What has the globalized economy gotten the United States of America?” Vance said in the interview. “Fundamentally, it’s based on two principles, incurring a huge amount of debt to buy things other countries make for us, and to make it a little more crystal clear, we borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things that Chinese peasants manufacture.”

“That is not a recipe for economic prosperity, it’s not a recipe for low prices, and it’s not a recipe for good jobs in the United States of America,” he added.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian held a press conference Tuesday, during which state-owned media outlet Shenzen TV asked him for comment on the “peasants” remark.

“China has made its position perfectly clear on its trade relations with the U.S.,” the spokesman said. “To hear words that lack knowledge and respect like those uttered by this vice president is both surprising and kind of lamentable.”

Questions about the emerging trade war between the U.S. and China dominated the press conference. Lin said his country “deplores and rejects” the U.S.’s “unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying.”

“Judging from its actions, the U.S. doesn’t seem to be serious about having talks right now,” Lin said. “If the U.S. truly wants to talk, it should let people see that they’re ready to treat others with equality, respect, and mutual benefit. If the U.S. decides not to care about the interests of the U.S. itself, China, and the rest of the world and is determined to fight a tariff and trade war, China’s response will continue to the end.”

The trade war began approximately two months ago with a U.S. tariff of 10% on Chinese goods, ostensibly as a punishment for Beijing allowing the fentanyl trade to work through its borders shipping materials to North America.

CHINA ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘BLACKMAILING’ WITH HEFTY TARIFF RATES: ‘FIGHT TO THE END’

Trump recently spiked those tariffs all the way up to 104% as part of his broader “Liberation Day” agenda meant to force foreign markets to renegotiate imports and exports.

China shot back a 10-15% tariff on U.S. agriculture and energy. It then implemented on Friday a sweeping 34% tariff on all U.S. goods.