Actually no, that is not an example of Irony. One of my favourite peeves to be petted is the misuse of the word Irony.
There are three relational concepts that are often used incorrectly.
Irony
Coincidence
Hypocrisy
Are all related but are quite different from each other.
Irony occurs when a person makes a decision with the intention of causing (or preventing) outcome A, but because of factors unknown to him, his actions actually prevents (or causes) outcome A.
Coincidence occurs when two events with a some sort of connection between them occur without one causing the other.
Hypocrisy occurs when a person states a belief in A but in actuality believes the opposite of A.
There is a fourth concept called happenstance which is similar to a coincidence but without the connection between the two events.
For example.
I am giving a lecture on how to predict rain. I choose to hold this lecture outside. During my lecture, it rains. What has occured?
Coincidence - My lecture did not cause the rain, but the topic has a connection with the event (rain).
I am worried about my audience getting wet on so I move the lecture inside an auditorium. During my lecture a pipe over the auditorium breaks. Also it did not rain. What has occurred?
Irony. I specifically made the decision to move the lecture inside so my audience would not get wet. Unknown to me, at the time of the decision, the pipe was going to burst making my audience wet. If I had not made the decision, my audience would not have gotten wet.
I am holding the lecture outside telling people that according to my beliefs it won't rain. However, I telecast my lecture from inside a studio because I actually believe it will rain. What has occurred?
Hypocrisy. I told the audience I believed one thing (it is not going to rain) but I acted as if I believed it would rain.
In the context of the news story, we have the United States selling chopsticks to China. What has occurred?
Coincidence. Two events or observations have been made.
1. The United States is selling chop sticks to China
2. China is not normally perceived as an importer of chopsticks.
However, one did not cause or prevent the other.
No Irony, just a coincidence.
Probably more than you ever wanted to know. But my hobby is petting this particular peeve.
