In the tense trade war with the United States, China's government has turned to an unlikely weapon: a cartoon bean.
"Hi, everybody. I am a soybean. I may not look like much, but I'm very important," says the animated character in a video posted on Friday on the website of China Global Television Network (CGTN), the overseas news network of state-owned China Central Television.
The short video in English with Chinese subtitles seems designed to undermine support for the trade dispute from U.S. farmers, key supporters of President Donald Trump, by highlighting the damage tariffs could have on American soybean exports.