What's Happening in China

What's Happening in China

Share this post

What's Happening in China
What's Happening in China
The Great Migrations
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

The Great Migrations

As U.S. TikTok users move to Xiaohongshu, Chinese head home for Lunar New Year

PC
Jan 18, 2025
∙ Paid
8

Share this post

What's Happening in China
What's Happening in China
The Great Migrations
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
4
Share

Welcome back to What’s Happening in China, your weekly update on the latest news and developments from the country.

“TikTok refugees.” Even with TikTok facing an imminent U.S. ban, no one could’ve predicted that would be the talk of the town this week. Or ever. As U.S. users prepare for the shutdown of ByteDance’s embattled app, reportedly over 3 million TikTokers are protesting by migrating to Xiaohongshu (小红书, literally “little red book”)—China’s lifestyle-sharing platform, known internationally as RedNote—in what is likely to be a short-lived but delightful moment of cultural exchange.

How are these newcomers adapting to Chinese social media norms and content guidelines? What new interactions might emerge from this unexpected digital migration? How will Xiaohongshu handle the international spotlight and user surge? And how will Chinese regulators respond to the sudden influx of foreign users? While we’re already starting to get the answers to some of these questions, whether it lasts…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to What's Happening in China to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Substack Inc
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More