China finds fresh love in Trump’s US: It’s America’s poverty – Firstpost

Chinese social media is buzzing with a latest way to mock American poverty as the commentators have latched onto an evocative phrase from video game culture, “kill line”, to amplify images of US hardship and project China’s superiority.

In gaming, the term “kill line” marks the point where an opponent becomes so weak that a single shot can finish them off.

The term has become a staple across Chinese social media, nationalist commentary sites, and state-linked stories outlets. It’s used to dramatize American poverty.

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“Kill line” is being used as a metaphor to encompass homelessness, debt, addiction and economic insecurity in the US.

China, world’s second-largest economy, closed 2025 with its largest-ever trade surplus, clocking nearly $1.2 trillion.

More from Business How China got world's largest trade surplus ever despite tariff wars India’s WPI inflation turns positive at 0.83% in December, signalling easing deflationary pressures

According to Customs data released on Wednesday, China posted a $1.189 trillion surplus, crossing the trillion-dollar mark for the first time, driven by stronger-than-expected export growth despite slowing domestic demand and a prolonged property slump.

On the other hand, newly released US consumer rate inflation remained unchanged at 2.7 per cent in December.

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