China's latest weapon in the trade war: Karaoke

A Chinese propaganda song about the ongoing Sino-US trade war is getting a lot of interest - and raising a few eyebrows - on Chinese social media.

Trade War, written by a former Chinese official, appeared on popular mobile messenger WeChat on Friday and has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. It has also inspired an accompanying music video.

The song features strongly worded criticism of the US and a vow to "beat it out of its wits".

China is no stranger to propaganda songs. Karaoke is popular in China and Beijing knows that songs are an effective way of conveying official thinking to young people.

And with tensions escalating between China and the US, after the latter raised tariffs on some $200bn (£153.7bn) worth of Chinese products, the song has been an effective way for China to build its soft power and stir anti-US sentiment.

The song

Last week, retired Chinese official and lyricist Zhao Liangtian posted the musical score for the Trade War song in a WeChat group called "The World's China Writers."

It attracted significant attention on the WhatsApp-like platform, and a subsequent post showing the song as a music video went viral. The three-minute video shows an animated fist set against flames, while scenic photographs of Beijing flash across the screen.

It is set to the tune of a well-known wartime anti-Japanese propaganda film, Tunnel Warfare, and sounds like an army chant.

"I chose Tunnel Warfare because that is reminiscent of the similar situation that China is facing today," Mr Zhao told Bloomberg News. "Since the trade war broke out, I felt the urge to do something," he said.

He adapted the lyrics for the recent deterioration in trade relations with the US:

"Trade war, trade war, not afraid of the outrageous challenge.

"A trade war is happening over the Pacific Ocean, the Belt and Road has even become a segment.

"If the perpetrator wants to fight, we will beat him out of his wits."