"Did you get that from a fortune cookie?"
Ivanka Trump has been criticised for tweeting a Chinese proverb that was actually American.
According to Reuters, White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump has been criticised for tweeting a ‘fake’ Chinese proverb.
Whilst he was in Singapore for a summit with Kim Jong Un, Ivanka Trump decided to offer her support to her father via a tweet, “‘Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.’ – Chinese Proverb”.
Reuters reports that quotation origins site Quote Investigator says the expression evolved from a comment dated in a periodical based in Chicago, Illinois, at the turn of the 20th century.
Weibo users were quick to notice the quote was not actually Chinese. On user claimed the saying originated from Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, whilst another claimed it to come from American novelist James Baldwin.
According to the BBC, one Weibo user wrote, “Don’t give advice while watching others playing a chess game.”
“If you haven’t tasted the grapes, don’t say they’re sour,” one person responded.
“Did you get that from a fortune cookie?” asked another.
“Actually Western people like to make up Chinese proverbs, like us, as we Chinese people also make up lots of those,” said a diplomatic user on Weibo.
Twitter users were also quick to criticise the president’s daughter.
““This not even remotely an actual Chinese proverb.” – Chinese Proverb,” wrote one user.
“Those who make up quotes and just claim Chinese people said them should sit down,” said another.
“For the record, this is not a Chinese proverb but a piece of ‘mysterious East’ wisdom made up by Westerners (see next tweet),” another said.
Three minutes of googling suggests this is a fake Chinese Proverb. It seems in fact to be American from the turn of the 20th c.—which makes sense, since its spirit is can-do Americanism. But why are Trump WH aides giving our proverbs to China, increasing our proverb deficit? https://t.co/bqjbZhXlQr
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) June 11, 2018
Those who make up quotes and just claim Chinese people said them should sit down.
— Max Sparber (@maxsparber) June 12, 2018
“This not even remotely an actual Chinese proverb.” – Chinese Proverb https://t.co/d7UiTYvrfS
— Angry Asian Man (@angryasianman) June 11, 2018
For the record, this is not a Chinese proverb but a piece of ‘mysterious East’ wisdom made up by Westerners (see next tweet). 1/ https://t.co/HqGnwCI4SP
— Michael Li (@mcpli) June 12, 2018
In other news, Singapore’s food industry has celebrated the Trump-Kim meeting in the country by creating summit-inspired dishes and drinks.