Editorial | RedNote connects as others appear to fail
‘TikTok refugees’ from the US and beyond are turning to the Shanghai-based app and getting to know users in mainland China
It has been extraordinary to watch the interaction between American “TikTok refugees” and regular Chinese users of the mainland social media platform RedNote, ahead of today’s threatened ban of TikTok by the United States. The migration will undoubtedly be a challenge for mainland authorities, but may also prove to be a great opportunity if managed well.
RedNote fans from across China and the US newcomers have been interacting directly for days, sharing snippets about their lives. Non-Chinese speakers have received support from bilingual guides eager to help those from America and beyond, who have made the app the one to download.
Even though the migration may not last long, especially if TikTok is given a reprieve under the new US administration, warm relationships have been forged between users, in contrast to icy official bilateral ties.
It is an unexpected gift for Beijing, which has long encouraged people-to-people engagement as a form of soft power to win hearts and minds. But the app, also known as Xiaohongshu or “little red book”, is based in Shanghai and behind China’s internet control system known as the “Great Firewall”.
RedNote complies with mainland content-management policies, unlike TikTok which runs a separate mainland platform, Douyin, under different rules.
Asked if China would step up censorship, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said only “it’s a personal choice and we encourage and support people-to-people exchanges”.
