the internet is able to play the most important role in fostering mutual understanding However, internet or social media platform needs to be free. in China, there's The Great Firewall. top down censorship platform level censorship account level censorship. more than half a million TikTok refugees, flooded to RedNote, still under effect of censorship but we've seen a lot of human to human exchange. What are the most used apps and websites in China, and how do they compare to Western ones?
the most used websites and apps in China are WeChat, Weibo, Baidu. Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili, and Xiaohongshu or RedNote. Normally, established media watch just say that they are similar to, for example, Google or TikTok, or YouTube, but I don't think that's accurate anymore. Of course, some of these platforms, like Baidu are direct copycats. and Baidu is certainly a copycat of Google.
But in recent years, there emerges a lot more Chinese apps built for China, and built for Chinese users particular user habits. And I would say WeChat is a great example. I think one last talked about point is that people are using WeChat as if it's the Internet of China. Almost everyone in China now has WeChat. it's the default chat app it's also a super app, meaning it's not just like WhatsApp where you can have conversations.
basically, because of the change in people's media consumption habit over a decade ago, a lot of publishing accounts and content, moved over to WeChat. You can also read articles because it has a built a publishing platform called WeChat Official Account. It also has a built in, application ecosystem, WeChat mini apps. It also has a short video channel. You can also pay your utility bills and basically do everything on there. So I would not compare it to WhatsApp anymore.
I would actually compare that to what Google or even what the internet can do, because you can also search in WeChat. How does censorship work in China's internet? I think there are two main driving forces. One is tech, the other one's human. Tech is only playing the role of assistant, the most well-known case is the golden shield project or in its nickname, The Great Firewall.
It was something that was put into place around 20 years ago, and domestic users are, forbidden from accessing certain foreign sites, from Facebook to Google to certain news sites. 翻墙 (fanqiang) to climb over a wall, meaning use Virtual Private Network (VPN) to change your user, IP domain so that the internet recognize you as, a user from other regions, not China. So, you can access sites, you typically don't have access to if you live in China.
and these days when we talk about tech in censorship, there's also algorithmic censorship in different social media platforms, such as Douyin and Bilibili, basically anything that's seeing as social media or even any app that has content, published content, on it [that] needs to be censored So if a blogger uses certain words that are deemed, as sensitive word, by the authority or by the platform, their content may get a notification, say that you have to delete
or adjust your content so that it can reappear on our platform, or the video may get taken down, or that account itself may get shut. there's always human censors at media publications, they would read through everything to make sure that it's within the party guidelines. And these days there are also human censors, at social media platforms, to execute orders and to direct algorithms to do things. I think the most scary side of censorship is self censorship.
And it's also the most effective tool. in recent years, I think we've seen a lot more high profile professionals from economists to, lawyers to even doctors self-censor. And I think that it's going down a very dangerous path. What role can the internet play in fostering mutual understanding between the United States and China? I believe the internet is able to play the most important role in fostering mutual understanding between the U.S. and China.
I think traditionally we've been reliant on diplomacy and we've been relying on established news outlets, but I can't say they are the most effective tools, especially in the age of social media. However, I think there is one prerequisite that is the internet or social media platform needs to be free. Now, with the recent surge of TikTok refugees on RedNote. I think, in fact, retinol is the most free platform in China as there is. so on there, we've seen a lot of human to human exchange.
We've seen questions, such as what is China like on the street level? Because maybe the American users, which is like over half a million of them, at least they don't really see street level Chinese pictures, because that's the perception in their head is being fed by traditional media. So they don't really get to see the human perspective of what China's like. At the same time, I've also seen questions of them asking each other, what do you think of black people?
Because, I mean, China is a rather homogeneous society. and what do you think of this in that political event? of course, is still under the effect of censorship and propaganda orders. I'm only giving a small example of what RedNote and the internet can do to engage, exchanges in a civil society. However, I think if used well, platforms like RedNote and the internet can play a more important role than the government and any kind of policy, any kind of, cultural exchange programs.
What role do influencers play in online cultural exchange? I would say they are very helpful in breaking barriers. And in recent years I've come across a lot of accounts on Instagram and TikTok featuring Chinese influencers. And they don't have to do much. they actually just republish content they are already doing on Chinese social media. A lot of them just do that and put on English subtitles. So they may be doing that to, explore overseas potentials.
with the help of VPN you may have come across on TikTok or Instagram. There are a bunch of rural women in their 50s and 60s. They always rap exact foods they're trying to make, and it's really fun to watch them rap. whether you understand the language or not, I think they may be just exploring the business potential of the English speaking world. and the second scenario would be that they are selling directly to overseas buyers and they want to make content targeted to those audience.
for the second example, you must know this guy Tony, who sells, lighting instruments. He can basically imitate any accent. He can also imitate any personality. I think one of the recent marketing strategies they did is that, they would start the video was a viral TikTok content, and then Tony would be the one who gives you a twist in the ending. I think with these positive examples, I think it's really helpful to American users to know that, hey, these Chinese people like really funny.
And Tony, for example, they may see me feel like they know Tony for a long time, but we have to be aware that influencers have business motives, they may have to put up a persona that is not, necessarily true to their true self in an everyday setting. So I would say they are helpful, but the the real humans or the people who don't come on to the platform just trying to sell things or just trying to get likes and clicks. They are the most neutral and the most authentic voices of China.
And for that reason, I think the influencers have definitely played a really important role in breaking barriers. But what really makes a difference is the authentic, users in real life. How do Chinese and American Internet users differ in their consumption of online content?
I think when we compare user habits and when compare the habits between different like humans in different societies, we need to first address the differences in their context, meaning, their internet environments in China, because there's different level of restrictions, from top down censorship to platform level censorship to account level censorship. we are more likely to see, a dichotomy of views and people have to choose between, something that's either black or white.
Whereas in the American Internet environment, there is a freedom of, expression. People have more diverse views, when it comes to public scandals, controversies or current affairs. So I would say from my perspective, that's the biggest difference. How do Chinese and American Internet users interact with each other online? I would go back to the example of RedNote.
if you remember, the first part of the story is that more than half a million TikTok refugees, quote unquote, flooded to RedNote, they are getting so much traffic. even if someone just came to the platform, they just post a simple video without any script, without any special makeup saying that, hey, how are you? I'm a typical refugee.
I'm from, for example, Tennessee, and he or she may have like 10,000 lives without much effort And that is very unfair to Chinese native users, who have built their content with blood and sweat and who seems to have put in a lot more effort into their content. And why is that?
I don't think it's because, RedNote’s algorithm is designed to prefer foreign content or non-Chinese content, but because non-Chinese people would usually stand out, in China on the ground and of course, they also stand out online. I think the root cause of this phenomenon is that Chinese society is very homogeneous. So it's quite easy for non Chinese people to, gain traction online and also gain attention. that says a lot more about what a society is.
instead of just people's user habit or a platform's algorithm. because that's what shapes people's digital behavior, no matter where they're from. when Chinese people go abroad, they may be forced to integrate with a more diverse society, they have to face a shift in their self identity because they are no longer, part of the mainstream ethnicity. They may be even portrayed as marginalized social group. So that's the kind of adjustment they need to make in real life.
And that's also the kind of adjustment they need to make online. Meaning that when they go on overseas platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, the simple fact [that] they're on the platform wouldn't give them any traction, because Chinese people are just seeing as part of larger society.