Qiángquán guójiā qīfu xiǎoguó, jiùshì shìzi tiāo ruǎn de niē.
Powerful countries bullying small ones is exactly 'picking the soft persimmons to squeeze.'
Tips
culture
Pairs with the noun phrase 软柿子 (ruǎn shìzi, 'soft persimmon') = an easy target, a pushover. The full saying spells out the bully's logic: when faced with a fruit stand, you reach for the ones that give way under your fingers.
usage
Used to criticize cowardly or selective bullying — at school, in the office, or in geopolitics. Often delivered with a sigh of disapproval rather than as praise of cunning.
