While China's leaders use their economic and political might to fight Donald Trump's trade war "to the end," its army of social media soldiers are embarking on a more humorous campaign online.

The U.S. president's tariff blitz has seen Washington and Beijing impose eye-watering duties on imports from the other, fanning a standoff between the economic superpowers that has sparked global recession fears and sent markets into a tailspin.

Trump says his policy is a response to years of being "ripped off" by other countries and aims to bring manufacturing back to the United States, forcing companies to employ U.S. workers.