In the 2010s, the U.S. and Chinese social media ecosystems seemed destined to exist in entirely separate spheres. Sites like YouTube, Google, and Facebook were all blocked in China and Chinese apps such as WeChat, Weibo, and Bilibili remained largely inaccessible or unpopular among U.S. users. However, in the last few years, a new wave of online interaction is emerging, fueled by the migration of TikTok users to RedNote and the rising interest of U.S. streamers and celebrities in engaging with Chinese audiences.
This interaction in cyberspace can deepen mutual understanding between the two nations while unlocking new business prospects in advertising, content creation, tourism, educational exchange, and beyond. As in-person exchanges have dwindled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising political tensions, these online interactions have become even more crucial. Though barriers such as VPN restrictions and the looming threat of app bans persist, the increasing digital connections between everyday Chinese and Americans could help revive cross-Pacific business ties and even foster political stability at a time when both economies face significant challenges.
One of the primary triggers of this shift has been the proposed ban on TikTok in the United States. Although RedNote's success in the U.S. has not matched that of TikTok, the latest stats on its U.S. daily active users show they are still at around 800 thousand–down from their height in January of 1.3 million but still up over 110% from December. Unlike TikTok, which is not available in China, RedNote allows for direct interaction between U.S. and Chinese users (albeit with some restrictions), making it one of the few widely popular platforms that facilitate cross-cultural engagement.
RedNote has capitalized on this unique positioning by branding itself as a “global” app at a time when many Chinese companies are eager to expand abroad, especially as they approach a potential IPO. To support this, Rednote has begun to remove technical and regulatory barriers to monetization for U.S. content creators, and even hold business partner recruiting events throughout the U.S. Much of its content is still focused on overseas Chinese but its continued use and expansion illustrate that despite the Great Firewall and U.S. crackdowns on Chinese tech, lucrative opportunities for digital engagement between the two nations still exist.
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| This cartoon posted on RedNote illustrates how native users of the app experienced the influx of Western TikTok users. screenshot by Jianqing Chen of RedNote user @蒜香排骨's post |
The growing presence of U.S. streamers and content creators on Chinese platforms further underscores this new trend. MrBeast, one of YouTube's most popular content creators, last year opened a popular account on Bilibili, one of China's leading video sharing platforms. In recent weeks, iShowSpeed, another widely followed internet personality, toured China and interacted with fans while showcasing Chinese culture to his U.S. audience.
This trend extends beyond digital influencers–sports figures such as Eileen Gu, Steph Curry, and Cameron Brink have established dedicated presences on RedNote and are leveraging their cross-Pacific appeal to engage both American and Chinese audiences. Even the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a sports organization with growing ambitions in China, has recognized the potential of digital engagement in expanding its Chinese fan base.
While some critics argue that these engagements serve as tools for Chinese state propaganda—as reflected in fawning state media coverage—the reality is that they also reflect genuine market demand and interest in U.S. entertainment and personalities within China. iShowSpeed's team has also strongly denied accusations of Chinese state funding.
Other homegrown Chinese content has also found viral success on Western social media platforms. Videos about the “Chinese Beaver,” “Donghua Jinglong,” and many others have gained widespread traction on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. Chinese lifestyle influencers, such as Li Ziqi, have also intrigued Western audiences.
Beyond finding a source of viral content, U.S. tech companies continue to profit significantly from Chinese advertising. Despite regulatory hurdles, Chinese companies remain major advertisers on platforms like Facebook, Google, and Instagram–demonstrating the enduring commercial ties between U.S. and Chinese digital economies. Several large U.S. tech companies like Meta have long had mostly stifled ambitions towards expansion in China.
These opportunities come at a time when both the U.S. and Chinese economies face increasingly uncertain futures. Growth in China has stalled ever since a brief post-pandemic bounceback. The U.S. stock market just had its worst quarter since 2022 and significant policy uncertainty in the U.S. has led to an increasingly cloudier outlook for economic growth.
From a cross-border economic perspective, Chinese investment in the U.S. has collapsed ever since 2017 and foreign investment into China is at multi-decade lows. China has struggled to attract back tourists and the U.S. now also sees quickly declining interest from overseas travelers, especially from China. Meanwhile, traditional avenues of U.S.-China engagement, such as study abroad programs and business exchanges, have experienced challenges returning to pre-pandemic levels. With Chinese students in the U.S. falling from their top spot among international arrivals and U.S. students in China reduced to less than 8% of what it was in 2019.
In this context, digital interactions offer an alternative pathway. Large-scale investment flows may have diminished and commerce now faces the threat of a global trade war, but the continued expansion of U.S. celebrities, content creators, and businesses into Chinese digital spaces, along with the success of RedNote and viral spread of Chinese content in the U.S., demonstrates that interest in cross-border engagement remains strong.
These digital exchanges may serve as the first seeds of renewed cross-Pacific cooperation. Whether they can blossom into something more substantial will depend on the ability of the companies and entrepreneurs involved to navigate the challenges ahead while embracing the opportunities that cyberspace provides.
