American influencers are flooding China to show off its technology and culture — while the US has expelled the world’s most-followed TikToker.
A new Chinese initiative will pay for US influencers to visit and collaborate with local counterparts, according to Chinese state media, which said the program would boost cultural exchange.
It’s an investment in soft power and a propaganda coup: State outlets praised recent visits from Western influencers like IShowSpeed (whose six-hour YouTube video on his Shenzhen visit has nearly 9 million views) for showcasing “authentic” life in China, Bloomberg wrote.
The US’ immigration crackdown, meanwhile, is pushing out influencers.
The Italian citizen Khaby Lame, the world’s most popular TikToker, was recently detained by US authorities and left the country after being reported by a rival influencer who is friends with President Donald Trump’s son Barron.