China never called Obama a paper tiger, because if they had, the GOP would have been all over it and said how bad Obama was for relations with China. But, China never called him one because they knew he had a spine.
However..................China DID call Trump a paper tiger.
So what?
China calling Trump a paper tiger means that they have no respect for him because they think he is ineffective and cannot hurt them.
They think he's weak.
Unlike Obama?
Obama has retired from the presidency, so it doesn't matter what other nations think of him any longer, it matters what they think of Trump, because he's the one now representing this country.
And no, China never called Obama a paper tiger, just Trump.