Chinese state media is hyping potential visits by more global internet celebrities as Beijing looks to capitalize on new forms of media to push its soft-power agenda.
After the success of streamer IShowSpeed’s visit earlier this year — videos from his trip got millions of views and were praised by Beijing for showing off the “real China” — state media outlet China Newsweek reported that YouTube juggernaut MrBeast is eyeing a visit to the country to film a “large-scale challenge program,” though details remain scant. Reps for MrBeast declined to comment. And Khaby Lame, the most-followed TikToker, who recently left the US after being detained by immigration agents, is reportedly planning to join Chinese social media and visit the country.
All this plays into Beijing’s larger effort to win hearts and minds, as it spars with the US to control the social media narrative. But it remains to be seen whether propaganda wins are translating into concrete economic gains: Tourism has increased due to looser visa-free policies, but remains below pre-COVID levels, with China lagging behind other destinations.