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Surveys Show More Americans Warming to China
“It’s easy when you’re unhappy with things at home to instead look at your peer rival,” Ho says.
Kishore Mahbubani, a Singaporean diplomat and former President of the United Nations Security Council, tells TIME that, against the backdrop of the U.S. withdrawing from the global stage, China has come across as a more dependable partner for much of the Global South.
Meanwhile, Chinese consumer brands and cultural exports have found new audiences abroad, like Pop Mart’s Labubu dolls. On TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance outside the U.S., users have embraced Chinese customs, like drinking warm water and practicing tai chi as part of the “Chinamaxxing” trend.
Ho points to social media exposure as a significant factor in driving youth opinion. He notes that China has toned down its assertive “wolf warrior” diplomacy in favor of a more flexible approach. Many positive depictions of China online appear to be organic, although media watchdogs previously reported that Beijing has used international broadcasting and advertising campaigns to spread propaganda.
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