A Chinese diplomat has claimed that a dress worn by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has been made in China.

A Chinese diplomat has claimed that a dress worn by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has been made in China. Chinese envoy Zhang Zhishen stirred a controversy with his X post on Leavitt’s dress amid the ongoing trade war between China and the United States.
Karoline Leavitt in a dress that a Chinese diplomat claims is made is China(X/@salahzhang)Karoline Leavitt in a dress that a Chinese diplomat claims is made is China(X/@salahzhang)

US President Donald Trump paused most of his biggest tariff hikes last week for 90 days, apart from those for imports from China. US-China tensions have escalated into a near trade embargo, with both nations imposing massive tariffs on each other – 145% by the US and 125% by China.

“Buying China is life”

Amid this trade war, Zhishen, who serves as the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Denpasar, Indonesia, shared a picture of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wearing a red dress edged with black lace.

He also shared pictures of a similar dress being sold on a Chinese website, along with a screenshot from a person who wrote: “The lace on the collar of this dress is woven in Mabu Town. It was dyed in our factory.”

Zhishen indicated that it was ironic of the White House to criticise China while its own officials wear ‘made in China’ products.

“Accusing China is business. Buying China is life. The beautiful lace on the dress was recognized by an employee of a Chinese company as its product,” he wrote on X.

Many X users refused to take Zhishen’s claims at face value, saying that the dress on the Chinese website might be counterfeit.

“A dress from a Malaysian designer that is being pirated by the Chinese you mean?” asked one X user. “Everything China makes is stolen from other people. Her dress is an original,” another argued.

White House rocked: Chinese diplomat accuses spokesperson Karoline Leavitt of wearing a “Made in China” lace dress amid escalating trade war, sparking a fiery online debate over authenticity and counterfeits!