China gives a wary welcome to influx of ‘TikTok refugees’ on RedNote

Users of the Chinese social media app RedNote welcomed “TikTok refugees” from the United States with selfies and messages on Wednesday, as Beijing said it encouraged stronger cultural ties with other countries in response to the sudden influx.

Known in China as Xiaohongshu and as a platform to find lifestyle recommendations on areas from beauty to food, the app has in recent days been transformed into an unexpected bilateral channel for US-China exchanges, with users swapping photos and questions about pets, favourite foods and their lives.