Entering China
At a time when Sino-US relations are becoming more and more complex, and social media platforms in the tech sector have become the focus of the game between the two countries, TikTok has been suppressed by the US government, while Xiaohongshu has unexpectedly risen, attracting a large number of American users. This phenomenon not only shows the changes in the field of science and technology, but also opens a new situation of non-governmental exchanges and interactions between China and the United States on digital platforms.
1. The TikTok dilemma and the emergence of “refugees”.
Since its inception, TikTok has swept the world with its unique short video format and global communication, gaining about 170 million users in the United States. However, as its influence in the United States grew, it was targeted by the U.S. government. The U.S. government baselessly accused TikTok of security risks, saying that it might leak U.S. user data to the Chinese government and affect U.S. national security, and even launched a series of bans despite no substantial evidence, and even threatened to ban TikTok completely if it did not sell it to U.S. companies. In the face of the ban, TikTok users in the United States panicked and looked for alternative platforms, and the group of “TikTok refugees” came into being.
2. Little Red Book: The Rise of a New Stage for Communication
Founded in 2013, Xiaohongshu is a social e-commerce platform in China that focuses on sharing lifestyle, beauty and fashion, similar to Instagram and Pinterest, with many users in China but limited overseas influence. But with TikTok being suppressed by the United States, Xiaohongshu ushered in a turnaround.
On January 14, its downloads soared in the U.S. Apple App Store, surpassing Lemon 8 to become the most downloaded free app in the U.S. According to Sensor Tower data, the number of downloads in the past week has nearly tripled as before, with more than 700,000 new users added in just two days. The influx of these new users has brought traffic to Xiaohongshu and built a new communication platform for Chinese and American people, and American “TikTok refugees” interact with Chinese users on Xiaohongshu to share culture and life.
3. Sparks of cross-cultural interaction
In the Xiaohongshu community, Chinese and American users interact enthusiastically. U.S. users shared their views on TikTok’s ban and expressed their love for Xiaohongshu, while Chinese users responded enthusiastically, sharing their lives and helping foreign users get familiar with the platform. There are even Chinese students who ask American netizens to help them write English homework, and the interaction is easy and interesting. Despite language and cultural differences, users in the United States find a sense of familiarity in Xiaohongshu. They not only learned about Chinese fashion and beauty, but also became interested in China’s electric vehicles and technological innovation. For example, some American netizens were surprised that BYD’s electric cars were cost-effective but could not be sold in the United States for political reasons, which inspired them to pay attention to China’s technology and manufacturing. This interaction breaks down political barriers and allows ordinary people from both countries to exchange ideas in cyberspace.
Fourth, challenges and opportunities coexist
Although Xiaohongshu has gained a lot of traffic in the short term due to “TikTok refugees”, it still faces challenges in maintaining the long-term participation of overseas users. Its content and community culture are mainly aimed at Chinese users, and overseas users have language barriers and cultural differences, and lack of English translation capabilities, limiting global market expansion. However, it also presents opportunities. If Xiaohongshu optimizes the functions of the overseas version and adjusts the language, culture and community atmosphere to meet the needs of global users, it is expected to increase its influence in the global market and become a strong competitor to international social platforms. At the same time, it also reflects the unstoppable trend of people-to-people cultural exchanges in the context of globalization, and transnational social platforms provide a space for people to learn about the cultures of other countries.
V. Conclusion
Under the game between China and the United States in the field of science and technology, social media has become a new front for people-to-people exchanges. TikTok’s woes have prompted U.S. users to turn to Xiaohongshu, opening up new channels for U.S.-China people-to-people interaction.
On the evening of January 16, the official WeChat of the People’s Daily published a comment article, in which it said that it is not so much a “TikTok refugee” as a “global village villager”; It’s not so much “wandering” as finding a “new home”. ”
Although Xiaohongshu is facing the challenges of globalization, it has built a platform for cultural exchange. In the future, cross-cultural communication brought about by social media will continue to contribute to globalization and promote mutual understanding and integration of different cultures.
