A Chinese diplomat’s social media post has stirred controversy after he claimed that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared at a recent public event wearing a dress featuring lace allegedly manufactured in China.
Zhang Zhisheng, the Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Denpasar, Indonesia, made the claim in a post on platform X (formerly Twitter), where he shared a photograph of Leavitt, 27, donning a red dress with black lace. The image was accompanied by a screenshot from Chinese microblogging site Weibo, in which a user alleged that the lace was produced in a factory located in Mabu, China.
“Accusing China is business. Buying China is life,” read Zhang’s post, which was shared on April 14. “The beautiful lace on the dress was recognized by an employee of a Chinese company as its product.”
The post has since triggered a wave of reactions online, with some users mocking the White House aide while others questioned the credibility of the claim. “Lol. Hypocrites exposed,” one user commented, while another described the diplomatic jab as “pure gold.” A few users defended Leavitt, stating that the dress was likely an original design and that many luxury brands outsource production to Chinese manufacturers.
The incident comes amid renewed trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. Just last week, China announced sweeping retaliatory tariffs on American imports, raising duties up to 125 per cent in response to a series of economic measures introduced by former US President Donald Trump.
In a sharp escalation, Trump had recently imposed increased tariffs on a range of Chinese goods, raising levies to as high as 145 per cent. However, he later reversed course for most countries, introducing a 90-day suspension on tariffs for over 75 nations, excluding China.
Beijing criticised the US tariff approach, with Chinese state media calling the moves “a joke” and accusing Washington of weaponising trade policy for political ends.
The sartorial controversy has added a symbolic twist to the ongoing economic conflict, with observers noting the irony of American officials possibly wearing garments partially sourced from the same country they are seeking to economically penalise.
The White House has not issued a statement regarding the claim. Leavitt, who made headlines earlier this year for becoming the youngest person to serve as White House Press Secretary, has not publicly commented on the matter.
