The US embassy in China has stopped posting regular updates to its official social media accounts as a result of the government shutdown.
This triggered a wave of discussion among social media users, many of whom used the occasion to take potshots at the American political system.
“Because of the lapse in appropriations, this account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume, with the exception of urgent safety and security information,” the embassy accounts on Chinese and US platforms said.
The posts added that scheduled passport and visa services would continue “as the situation permits”.
Other US diplomatic missions posted similar messages.
The government shutdown, which began on October 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding bill, led to the suspension of all non-essential services and saw an estimated 750,000 federal employees furloughed without pay.
The comment sections of the US embassy accounts on Chinese platforms attracted thousands of replies, mostly ironic reflections on American politics and values.
Comments compared the country’s frequent moral messaging abroad with its domestic dysfunction, with one describing the situation as “a joke about the self-proclaimed beacon of democracy”.
Other commentators said the episode highlighted the limits of capitalism, arguing the suspension of communications due to a lack of funding suggested US government employees did not have the right “spirit” of public service.
“You get what you pay for,” one comment read.
Another response said: “No money, no democracy – that’s hilarious.”
“Is money the only thing that matters in your eyes? Do you still have any love for America, the Democratic Party of the United States, or the Republican Party of the United States? Do you still love your great leader?” one social media user wrote in English.
One asked: “Why aren’t you still singing the praises of the ‘great leader’. Is a leader only great if money is provided?”
The US embassy has been contacted for comment.
The embassy’s social media posts have repeatedly generated heated online discussions, with many Chinese internet users using them as an opportunity to criticise US domestic and foreign policy and Washington’s perceived double standards internationally.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump threatened to withhold back pay from government employees once the shutdown ended – a move even some Republicans warned may be illegal.
The last US government shutdown happened during Trump’s first term in December 2018 and January 2019. It ran for 35 days, the longest in US history. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
