Some US politicians overreact by taking target at RedNote; move exposes their anxiety of presenting a real China to US netizens: analysts

Some US politicians overreact by taking target at RedNote; move exposes their anxiety of presenting a real China to US netizens: analysts

“US rumor-mongers” should try out the popular Chinese social app “RedNote,” or “Xiaohongshu” to “understand the trend of times” and the desire for Chinese and the US people for deeper mutual engagement, Chinese analysts reached by the Global Times said on Friday, commenting on the anxiety displayed by certain US extreme politicians and so-called cyberspace experts who recently overreacted by taking their aims at the popular app after it tops Apple App Store’s free downloads.

Chinese analysts stressed that those malicious hypes won’t deter the momentum of positive engagement between Chinese and the US netizens, under which mutual understandings are growing day by day and each side has been impressed by the kindness and friendliness from the other. It, on the contrary, laid bare the US politicians’ fear for exposing their malicious anti-China agenda and hiding a genuine China reality from US citizens, analysts pointed out.

According to a CBS News report on Thursday, commenting on the surge in popularity of RedNote in the US market ahead of a potential TikTok ban, US cybersecurity expert Adrianus Warmenhoven said that RedNote may actually “represent an even greater threat,” as “all of the data sharing and all the servers to which the data is being shared is in China.”

John Moolenaar, chairman of House Select Committee on China – which played a key role in the potential TikTok ban, said that RedNote could face a similar crackdown in the US under the divestment law, like TikTok, according to another report by the New York Post.

RedNote has not responded to aninterview request by the Global Times regarding those so-called concerns as of press time. The Chinese app has been filled with more interesting moments of engagement between Chinese and US people in recent days, ranging from “cat tax” to “online one-on-one tutorial.”

The “cat tax” phenomenon starts with many US netizens trying to break the ice at the social platform by sharing photos of their cats and the trend was warmly welcomed by Chinese users, who joked that the community “would accept them only if they share the cute photo of their cats.”

The exchange then moves deeper, expanding into areas of expertise between the people of the two countries. Some Chinese students also used the platform to ask foreign users for help with their English homework, while some foreign users turning to Chinese users for assistance with their math assignments.

A Rednote Chinese beauty blogger, who prefers not to be identified, also told the Global Times on Friday that she was asked by a US netizen on “how to do a similar make-up with Oriental look like her.”

Those friendly people-to-people exchanges between China and the US reflect the desire from each side to learn more about the other, analysts said, while urgingUS politicians to register for the app and see it themselves.

But some US politicians just cannot tolerate the growing warmth in people-to-people exchanges, nor do they want citizens from both sides to understand each other’s realities. They’re afraid that if such interactions cannot be suppressed, and US netizens discover that China’s actual situation differs from the narrative these politicians promote, which coupled with the friendliness of Chinese netizens, could make it harder for these politicians to continue smearing China, Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Friday:

“Some radical US politicians feel both anxious and frustrated. More interactions on platforms like Xiaohongshu will make those US politicians lose the space to smear China. US netizens have come to see China’s reality and the friendly attitude of Chinese netizens, further weakening these politicians’ attempts to spread negative narratives,” Li said.

 

We advise Burns and his ilk to try out ‘RedNote’

 

A choir of American children recently sang the Chinese song “Ru Yuan” (“As You Wish”) during a visit to the Temple of Heaven, garnering millions of likes online. Meanwhile, a wave of “TikTok refugees,” foreign influencers, is flooding Chinese social media app “RedNote,” or “Xiaohongshu,” inadvertently opening new channels for mutual engagement between the peoples of the US and China. At the same time, the outgoing Biden administration, now in its final lap, has rolled out a series of policies targeting China, from semiconductors to AI to connected vehicles. Former US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, who recently concluded his tenure, stated, “I’ve spent probably 80 percent of my time on the competitive edge with China and about 20 on the positive engagement,” claiming this was “the right balance.” These events illustrate the richness and complexity of US-China relations.

China-US relations are multifaceted. Whether it’s “RedNote” or Burns, both represent different aspects of this relationship. Washington’s zero-sum, even negative-sum, mind-set largely shapes its perception of and policies toward China – this is an undeniable fact. Equally true is the growing dissatisfaction among ordinary Americans with Washington’s various “decoupling” moves and the significant grass-roots demand for engagement with China, leading to a surge in organic exchanges. The harm caused by Washington’s bias in its China policy is real, but so too is the healing power of increased people-to-people exchanges.

“Hello.” When many American influencers first log onto “RedNote,” they tentatively post this simple greeting. Some admit that years of Western politicians and media shaping an “information cocoon” to demonize China left them initially apprehensive about exploring a Chinese-language platform. Yet, they quickly discover that the friendliness and openness of Chinese users dissolve their unease. Some are even moved to tears by a single “hello” from a stranger across the Pacific. From sharing memes and “cat taxes” to helping with homework and balancing budgets, the enthusiasm for mutual exchanges between netizens of both countries is rising rapidly. Conversations are transitioning from lighthearted to profound, causing the “information cocoon” to be squeezed into its cracks.

Meanwhile, figures in Washington, including Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, have recently weighed in on China-US relations with no shortage of negative remarks, such as continued disparagement of so-called “Chinese influence.” While their attitudes and policy preferences may impact China-US relations to some extent, they do not determine their trajectory. As one American talk show host noted, when Washington’s TikTok ban looms, US netizens respond by downloading another Chinese app.

Although China and the US are separated by the vast Pacific Ocean, their economies, societies, and cultures are deeply intertwined, establishing intricate connections in global industrial and supply chains, technological cooperation, educational exchanges, and personnel interactions. The common interests between China and the US have not diminished but rather increased; the willingness of the people of both countries to enhance mutual understanding and deepen exchanges and cooperation has not weakened but grown stronger.

On the significant question of “what kind of China-US relationship the US needs,” there is a notable gap between American politicians and the general public. The approach described by Burns, in which he spends 80 percent of his time on competition with Beijing and 20 percent on engagement, seriously deviates from public sentiment. Demonizing China’s development and using it as a scapegoat for Washington’s ineffective governance is a narrative that is increasingly losing its ability to deceive in light of evident truths. As one popular post by an American netizen on the X platform noted, “Thousands of people downloaded RedNote to spite the US government, finding themselves having lovely interactions with the millions of Chinese citizens on the app & inadvertently undoing decades of US propaganda.” As the world’s two largest economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council, there is vast potential for cooperation and mutual benefit between China and the US. This is the “ironclad foundation” of US-China relations, which should not and cannot be defined solely by “hawkish politicians.”

“They want the two great powers in the world to be enemies, but we want to be friends.” “We must remember the love and trust we have for each other in this moment.” Now, “RedNote” has become a message board for the people of China and the US, reflecting the simple wish of both countries and the international community for a world of peace, prosperity, and universal security. People see the trend and the direction of public sentiment through the song of “Ru Yuan” (“As you wish”), the messages on “RedNote,” the enthusiasm for “China Travel,” and the explosive popularity of Black Myth: Wukong. The hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels. We advise Burns and his ilk to try out “RedNote,” and it is hoped that the “RedNote phenomenon” can serve as a mirror for Washington to reference when formulating and adjusting its policies toward China.

 

GT

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