When we are extremely upset, we tend to say things that we later regret. Some Chinese officials appear to have fallen into that trap recently. They should perhaps have thought twice about some of the words they used when they issued their strong statements castigating President Trump for the high tariffs his administration has imposed on Chinese goods imported into the U.S.

What seems to have most angered the Chinese is what they perceive to be a show of disrespect from President Trump. They did not like the manner in which he talked about their country when he instituted the policy. They seem to be yearning for treatment with dignity even more than a reduction of the tariffs.

China’s foreign ministry issued a video last week to publicly air its displeasure with President Trump’s actions. In it, a voice-over artist refers to the U.S. as an “imperialist” and says that if China acquiesced to the 145 percent tariffs, it would be “drinking poison.” The narration adds: “Imperialists are always arrogant. If they show a bit of reason, it’s only because they are forced to do so.” Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, was quoted in a recent article as saying that President Trump’s trade policy amounts to “the open return of the law of the jungle.” He warned: “If we choose to stay silent or compromise, it will only embolden the bully further.”

Everything the Chinese officials said about bullies is absolutely correct. But in their choice of target, they appear to have picked the wrong guy. As I was reading their statements, the name that kept popping into my mind was Vladimir Putin. He is the one who is using the law of the jungle in his attempt to subjugate an entire population of a sovereign country. And interestingly, it is these same Chinese who are helping him in that unlawful and barbaric mission, and essentially asking Ukrainians to drink poison.

China likes to talk about its no-limits friendship with Russia. The bedrock principle of any such close relationship is candid communication. If those Chinese officials have such a clear understanding of the nature of bullies, why aren’t they being truthful when it comes to their pal in the Kremlin? He is an imperialist and one of the most arrogant people on the planet. He respects no rules and cannot be reasoned with. The only thing that elicits any type of response when dealing with him is the use of force.

The Chinese, in particular, shouldn’t complain too much about President Trump’s trade policies because of how abusive their own commercial practices have been. And before they start calling our president a bully, they may want to look in the mirror. They themselves throw their weight around a lot. Just ask the Taiwanese, Filipinos, Australians, and the citizens of other countries in China’s neighborhood.

By expressing their feelings about President Trump so publicly, the Chinese officials unwittingly revealed their blatant hypocrisy. The person they really should be calling out is their no-limits buddy. Someone in the Chinese foreign ministry must have read from the wrong script.