In April 2024, a bipartisan effort led to a bill banning TikTok in the U.S., signed by President Biden to curb Chinese tech influence. This prompted over three million users to join RedNote, a Chinese app similar to Instagram. These 'TikTok refugees' engaged with Chinese internet culture, fostering unexpected connections with ordinary Chinese people. Despite the serious backdrop of U.S.-China relations, RedNote provided a platform for cultural exchange and mutual understanding, reminiscent of historical attempts to bridge the two nations through shared media and personal interactions.
The bill, signed into law by President Joseph Biden, enacts a further clampdown on the reach of Chinese technology in the U.S., stating that it is protecting Americans from foreign adversary controlled applications.
These rare, unmediated exchanges between everyday Chinese and Americans appeared to reflect the simple pleasures inherent to internet culture: cute kids, cats, and comedy.
In granting Americans intimate access to Chinese people and culture across the chasm of U.S.-China geopolitics, RedNote's window into Chinese life stands in stark contrast to the often menacing depictions of China in U.S. politics.
There is a long history in which Americans and Chinese have sought to remake the relationship between the two nations by forging new relationships with one another through the exchange of books, films, and most importantly, people.
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