A social media account with direct links to the Chinese Communist Party has taken to Twitter to openly mock United States President Donald Trump:

https://twitter.com/PDChina/status/1325110445162848257

The tweet by People's Daily was a retweet of Trump's assertion that he won the ongoing presidential election in the U.S. -- but with "HaHa🤣" as the retweet caption.

Trump's tweet and the People's Daily retweet came shortly before CNN, Associated Press, ABC News and NBC News called the win for challenger Joe Biden at around 12:27am Singapore time.

As there is hardly any love lost between Trump and China, it is no surprise that the social media platform belonging to a CCP-affiliated publication would needle Trump now.

Irony galore

However, there is irony galore.

The use of Twitter -- an American tech company property -- to needle a sitting American president, falls under the purview of free speech that is protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. constitution.

However, in this day and age of foreign influence and fake news, Twitter has taken it upon itself to label content that falls short of factfulness.

As a result, Twitter has branded People's Daily Twitter account with a "China state-affiliated media" label.

More glaringly, Twitter is blocked in China.

This has caused the freedom of speech exercised by People's Daily to extend globally as a result of Twitter's worldwide penetration but stopping short at China's shores.

But the limits of free speech is also apparent as the sitting president, Trump, is not spared.

A label has been slapped by Twitter on Trump's tweet disputing its content: "Official sources may not have called the race when this was tweeted."

I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020

Another label was immediately affixed by Twitter onto Trump's tweet about election fraud: "This claim about election fraud is disputed."

THE OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTING ROOMS. I WON THE ELECTION, GOT 71,000,000 LEGAL VOTES. BAD THINGS HAPPENED WHICH OUR OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE SENT TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER ASKED FOR THEM!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020

Background of People's Daily

People's Daily is the largest newspaper group in China.

The paper, established in June 1948, is an official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

It has since branched out online with a Weibo account.

Editorials in the People's Daily are regarded both by foreign observers and Chinese readers as authoritative statements of official government policy, and studied with care.

As per decades-long tradition, distinction is made between editorials, commentaries, and opinions -- but such nuance is lost among less avid readers -- although all that is published must be government approved.

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