Ahead of dreaded TikTok ban, US ‘refugees’ flee to China’s Xiaohongshu app but not all are welcoming
Chinese users are responding with a mix of enthusiasm for cultural exchange and frustration over altered algorithms.
A search for "TikTok Refugee" on popular lifestyle app Xiaohongshu shows many videos and photos from users - both in China and outside of China - welcoming or saying hello to each other. (Image: Xiaohongshu)
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SINGAPORE: The clock is ticking as a growing number of young “TikTok refugees” in the United States flock to Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, also called RedNote, in search of an alternative ahead of the dreaded TikTok ban on Sunday (Jan 19).
TikTok said on Friday, after the US Supreme Court upheld the ban, that it would go dark on Sunday, unless there is assurance from the outgoing President Joe Biden administration.
Not good news for its 170 million American users, but some have decided to take matters into their own hands.
Arcadia Labonte, a 36-year-old homemaker from the US state of Oregon who has been on TikTok since 2022, signed up for a Xiaohongshu account just this week.
She says she knew of Xiaohongshu long before news of the ban was announced. But hearing that it was a good alternative to TikTok made her sign up.
“Having a social media platform that fills the niche of ‘endless video scrolling’ was something I needed and Xiaohongshu seemed like a good fit from what people (online) were saying,” Labonte told CNA.
Xiaohongshu has seen a surge in new sign-ups from the US of more than 200 per cent year-on-year this week, and 194 per cent from the week before, according to estimates from app data research firm Sensor Tower.
In only two days, more than 700,000 new US users had joined the app, Reuters reported, citing a source close to the company.
This has sparked a series of rare cross-cultural exchanges between American "refugees" and Chinese users who have been mostly welcoming. However, some complain about altered algorithms sending them content in English.
WHY XIAOHONGSHU?
A new user by the handle of JulietteReads said American users were signing up for Xiaohongshu accounts “as a form of protest” to the US Supreme Court’s decision to ban one of the world’s most popular and widely-used apps.
US officials and lawmakers have argued that TikTok, owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance, threatens US national security and has ties to the Chinese government - claims which TikTok’s Singaporean CEO and ByteDance have denied.
“While I understand the concerns (about data and privacy threats), a number of us disagree,” she told CNA, noting the irony of selling TikTok to an American company. It would mean “having the same government-controlled censorship” as other social media platforms like Meta, she adds.
“For these TikTok refugees, they want to find an alternative platform that is owned by a Chinese company, (that) is more Chinese than TikTok,” said Meng Ziying, a PhD researcher from Australia’s University of Melbourne.
For overseas users, Xiaohongshu is also more accessible, compared to others like Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, which requires a Chinese mobile number to register for an account.
Like TikTok, part of Xiaohongshu’s appeal is in its algorithm’s ability to push traffic to a creator’s content regardless of the number of followers.
“The platform is supporting ordinary users to grow their account,” said Meng.
Professor Min Ye from Boston University's Pardee School of Global Studies said she was “surprised” by the “speed and scale” of migration of TikTok users to Xiaohongshu.
“It serves as a humbling reminder, even for a long-term observer of US-China relations, that when we see no viable alternative but to accept an unwelcome or discriminatory outcome, young users often find innovative ways to adapt and voice their perspectives. They may shape changes in both America and China.”
Known as RedNote in English, the app is often hailed as China’s answer to Instagram and has been the go-to online space for Chinese social media users for watching and resharing short videos. It is also used by brands and businesses to host shopping videos and livestreams.
It is highly popular among Chinese tourists, with many travel influencers sharing food, accommodation and tourist hot spot recommendations around the world.
Because of its primarily female user base, makeup tutorials and womenswear tips are also popular on the app.
Urban “white-collar” women between the ages of 25 and 34, make up close to 70 per cent of the app’s users, said Jeffrey Hau, co-founder and director of Prizm Group, a digital marketing agency.
It has gained huge followings in other countries like Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, particularly with Chinese speaking communities.
“Xiaohongshu’s international user base mostly relies on Chinese people living overseas,” Hau said. “We believe it is due to the nature of the content, which is mainly (hosted) in the Chinese language.”
CROSS-CULTURAL EXCHANGE
Native Xiaohongshu users have largely been welcoming of the “TikTok refugees”.
“Hi! TikTok refugee. Welcome,” said Chinese user Sara627 in a post sharing basic tips on using the social media platform.
With the influx of new US users into Xiaohongshu, observers say it has opened a rare window for Americans to learn more about China, and vice versa, through direct exchanges and interactions.
Posting selfies and videos, new Xiaohongshu users began introducing themselves to Chinese users. Using the search term “TikTok refugee”, many shared videos documenting their experience on the app and what convinced them to make the change.
“Hi! I am new here, this is my art! I would like to make friends here,” one user from the US, splatcube, wrote. The note, posted on Thursday afternoon, has garnered almost 38,000 likes and more than 5,400 comments as Chinese users flocked to say hello and leave comments.
“Your handwriting is very beautiful! Your paintings are also very nice! It’s art!” one user, shi liu, praised.
To navigate the language barrier, many non-Mandarin speakers use online translation tools to make sense of the comments and also translate their own content for Chinese users.
Following in the footsteps of their new friends, some Chinese users on Xiaohongshu have also posted questions in both Chinese and English using machine translation tools.
“I’m a birder in China, show me some strange birds in America!” one birdwatching account, Life House, wrote.
“There are so many warm or fun interactions between Chinese users and American users on the platform these days,” observed University of Sydney’s Dr Jia Guo.
Prof Ye said that Chinese users “are generally excited to have this rare opportunity to interact with Americans directly”.
“They are also likely captivated by the dramatic unfolding of domestic politics and social activism in the US, especially during the early days of Trump 2.0.”
Well-known TikTok influencers and official accounts such as those of Chinese state media outlets and major brands like the Luckin Coffee mega chain, have also hopped on the trend of welcoming the new American users, posting and advertising their products and services in English.
“240-hour visa free policy, China is waiting for you!” a police spokeswoman said in a video explaining the country’s new 240-hour visa free policy for foreign visitors.
“Yo China! Did I miss the party or what,” US basketball player Ja Morant wrote on his newly registered official red-tick account.
Chinese American comedian Jimmy O Yang, who starred in HBO’s Silicon Valley and Netflix’s Space Force, announced in a video on Instagram that he was joining Xiaohongshu.
However, there are also non-Chinese public figures “native” to Xiaohongshu. Norwegian DJ Alan Walker, who has more than 240,000 followers on the app, said he received many messages welcoming him to Xiaohongshu.
“I’ve received many DMs welcoming me these few days, but … I’m a RedNote native!” the DJ posted on his account. “TikTok refugee? Feel free to ask me anything!”
Stars like Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom and female rapper Cardi B have had official Xiaohongshu accounts for over a year, sharing posts that include captions in Chinese.
“GIVE ME BACK MY XIAOHONGSHU”
But not everyone is pleased about the growing western presence on the app. Some unhappy Chinese users shared their complaints, wishing for things to return to the way they were.
“I beg you, please stop using your machine translated English to reply to the foreigners,” said a user named Mi Zai, who added: “Give me back my original Xiaohongshu.”
His post was one of hundreds complaining about the influx of western “refugees” on the platform, which some say was affecting their search algorithms filtering results with English posts.
Some Chinese content creators also complained about the lack of engagement on their accounts, in contrast to new American users who are able to see thousands of likes and comments on posts in addition to garnering many new followers.
“They question the Western privileges US users have on a Chinese platform,” said Dr Guo, adding that this might be especially unpalatable for Chinese who have experienced racism overseas.
“I think for a lot of young Chinese studying or working in Western countries, they are likely to experience racism and social exclusion in their everyday lives, so some of them tend to hold a negative attitude towards this.”
On the other hand, “TikTok refugees” would have to get used to content moderation on Xiaohongshu, which follows strict guidelines in accordance with China’s regulatory laws.
“Xiaohongshu follows the party-state’s general censorship, for example, discussions about sensitive political issues or Chinese political leaders are not allowed,” said Dr Guo.
“There will be more TikTok users who experience such content moderation. And then I guess that's also adding to part of the culture shock,” added Meng.
The Chinese government is likely treading carefully, said Prof Ye.
“While it may welcome this challenge to the TikTok ban, it is undoubtedly concerned about the potential fallout for its information control. It is a delicate balance for the CCP elites.”
