How ordinary people are quietly changing relations between nations
Print Edition
When American father Brecken Neumann traveled to Shanghai this spring to meet his Chinese Internet friends, the sight of toddlers swapping snacks wasn鈥檛 just a cute moment but a glimpse of a quiet revolution.
From viral 鈥淪ay Hi鈥 videos to family meetups arranged through social media platform Xiaohongshu (Red Note, China鈥檚 lifestyle-sharing platform with 300 million monthly active users), ordinary people are reshaping relations between countries through genuine connections.
In response to the looming United States TikTok ban in January, many American users migrated to China鈥檚 Xiaohongshu.
Algorithms, once seen as tools of division, have sparked cross-cultural curiosity. Xiaohongshu鈥檚 personalized feed recommends Chinese breakfast videos to Utah moms and Colorado ski Vlogs to Guangzhou office workers. Virtual exchanges lead to real-world friendships.
Neumann, following the trend on Xiaohongshu, posted a photo of himself and his daughter greeting Chinese netizens. Soon, his comments section was flooded with 鈥渉i鈥 messages from people of all backgrounds, including a family photo of Rongrong and her family from Shanghai.
The side-by-side comparison of these two images quickly went viral on platforms like X, with a 鈥淚sn鈥檛 this how the world should be?鈥 remark by a netizen, garnering nearly 400,000 likes. Inspired by the kindness of Chinese netizens, the Neumanns embarked on their journey to China.
They aren鈥檛 alone. Foreign visitors, inspired by online conversations, are flocking to China.
In 2024, over 20 million inbound trips were made under China鈥檚 visa-free policies, a 112.3 percent year-on-year increase.
American basketball fan Jiggly Boy, or 鈥淲olf Uncle,鈥 praised Shanghai鈥檚 cleanliness and modern skyline, calling it 鈥渙ne of the most beautiful cities in the world.鈥
Italian traveler Federico, retracing his mother鈥檚 visit from 30 years ago, marveled at Shanghai鈥檚 growth and cultural scene, surprised by the authenticity of Italian pizza.
British streamer 鈥渋tsjavachip鈥 visited Chongqing after gaining fame from 鈥淏lack Myth: Wukong.鈥 This Chinese video game sold 10 million copies globally in three days.
Their visits sparked global praise, with social media users saying, 鈥淭his is what the world should be like.鈥
While government diplomacy can be fragile, citizen-led connections are often more resilient. Even as political tensions rise, people find ways to collaborate. Music, food and laughter connect people in ways that official statements rarely can.
YouTuber Darren Jason Watkins Jr, known as IShowSpeed, recently conducted a series of livestreams during his inaugural visit to China.
His six-hour broadcast in Shanghai attracted over 6.4 million views and thousands of comments. With 37 million YouTube subscribers, IShowSpeed is recognized for his energetic and expressive on-screen presence.
During his tour, he explored cities like Shanghai and Beijing, participated in cultural activities such as lion dances, sampled local cuisines and experienced riding shared bicycles.
The American鈥檚 real-time, high-definition 2K livestreams, even aboard China鈥檚 350 km/h high-speed trains without connectivity issues, impressed many international viewers.
These unfiltered broadcasts provided audiences worldwide with a firsthand look at modern China, challenging longstanding stereotypes and offering a fresh perspective on the country鈥檚 development and culture.
Viewers expressed surprise at China鈥檚 modernity and the warmth of its people, contrasting sharply with previous perceptions of the nation as 鈥渂ackward鈥 or 鈥渃losed.鈥
Comments from international viewers included sentiments like, 鈥淩espect the Chinese people and China. Hope we can get along and put aside political differences.鈥
Such kind of people-to-people diplomacy mirrors what biologist Lynn Margulis called 鈥渟ymbiotic evolution鈥 鈥 distinct entities thriving through cooperation. When people meet, talk and understand each other, they create bonds that withstand the shocks of political uncertainty. Even in tense times, empathy and curiosity remain forces for mutual understanding.
Gen Z is leading the change. American and Chinese gamers form teams in 鈥淢inecraft,鈥 collaborating on elaborate virtual worlds like Minecraft. On Xiaohongshu, they exchange memes, learning each other鈥檚 humor.
The movement is reminiscent of the 1971 鈥減ing-pong diplomacy鈥 that paved the way for normalized China-US relations. Back then, a simple table tennis match symbolized hope.
Today, a dance challenge on social media sparks laughter and connection across continents.
Instead of summits, real progress might come from Midwestern moms sharing cookie recipes with their Chinese friends, grandparents exchanging herbal remedy tips online, or families comparing grocery prices and salaries across the Pacific.
Diplomats may negotiate treaties, but the true architects of peace might just be snack-sharing toddlers and meme-posting teens. After all, it鈥檚 difficult to fear someone who just taught you how to make their grandmother鈥檚 soup and gave it five stars.
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