At last week’s Belt and Road Forum China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi threw down the gauntlet at the U.S.-led Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), saying, “We might as well compete internationally to see who can build more roads, railways and bridges for developing countries and who can construct more schools, hospitals and sports facilities for the people in low-income countries,” he said. “China has the confidence and determination in this regard.”

This comment has drawn angry reactions from Chinese internet users, a rare moment of public resistance to the government’s international engagement from citizens suffering tough economic times at home. Under Weibo video clips of Wang’s comments, many users posted, “Who will pay for it?”