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China at Paris 2024 Olympics Trend File: Medals and Moments on Chinese Social Media
Our China Olympic Trending File: Explore the main Chinese social media discussions and hashtags surrounding the Paris 2024 Olympics.
This article was first published by What’s on Weibo on
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The 2024 Paris Olympics have been much anticipated, and finally the “Bālí Àoyùn” (#巴黎奥运#, Paris Olympics) are here from July 26 until August 11, 2024.
The Chinese team for the Paris 2024 Olympics is one of the top ten largest delegations, with 716 members including 405 athletes and support staff. Among these athletes, 42 are Olympic champions and many are experienced competitors. China will compete in a variety of sports, such as swimming, diving, weightlifting, shooting, gymnastics, and table tennis. Notably, the team includes 269 female and 136 male athletes.
This article is a ‘live file’ to track the various relevant hashtags and discussions on Chinese social media surrounding the 2024 Olympics. If you don’t see any current updates, refresh the page or check back a day later to see new additions.
JULY 27
🔹 China’s First Gold!
🥇 China’s “First Gold” became a top trending topic on Weibo on Saturday, with the two related hashtags (#中国首金; #中国队首金) receiving 230 million and 320 million views respectively.
China’s first Olympic gold at Paris 2024 was won in the 10m air rifle mixed team final by professional shooters Huang Yuting (黄雨婷 @A阿条本条) and Sheng Lihao (盛李豪 @光靠干饭就).
As the two Olympic champions are only 17 and 19 years old, they are being celebrated as part of the “00-generation” (00后) achieving gold.
Chinese state media also highlighted this milestone by honoring Xu Haifeng, who won China’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in shooting at the 1984 Olympics. Xu, born in the 1950s, made history. In this context, it is even more remarkable that the post-2000 teenage duo, Huang and Sheng, secured China’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
JULY 28
🔹 Online Banter about Opening Ceremony Video Being Removed
After internet users worldwide noticed that the official video for the Paris 2024 opening ceremony was removed from the Olympics’ account following controversy, a related hashtag also trended on Weibo, sparking many discussions. On Friday night, the ceremony featured a fashion show scene with drag queens and dancers performing a parody of the Last Supper.
The scene especially seemed to be deemed anti-Christian by many American viewers, but also by others. Following the backlash, American technology company C Spire announced it would withdraw all its advertisements from the Olympics, stating it was “shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper.”
On Weibo, the related hashtag garnered a staggering 530 million views. Top commenters humorously noted that amid discussions about being relaxed and tolerant in the West, it was surprising to find that “the most relaxed and tolerant of all is still CCTV, which still has the full video available online.”
Comments also joked about the Western reaction, saying, “It seems they went back to the Qing dynasty,” and “Who would have expected CCTV to be the most tolerant one of all?”
One commenter added, “Don’t worry, if you want to see the full ceremony, come to China Central Television; we’re so tolerant and relaxed here.”
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Olympics Official Account Deletes Paris Opening Ceremony Video” #奥运会官号删除巴黎开幕式视频# (530 million views on Sunday).
🔹 Fourth and Fifth Gold: Chinese Men’s Double Diving 10m and Sheng Lihao’s 10m Air Rifle
It’s day three of the Olympics, with gold medals to be won in archery, artistic gymnastics, canoe slalom, mountain biking, equestrian, diving, judo, shooting, and skateboarding.
🥇 In diving, China’s Yang Hao (杨昊, @杨昊GoG) and Lian Junjie (廉君杰/@Diving练俊杰) became the number one hot topic on Weibo after they secured the first gold of the day in the men’s 10-metre synchronised platform event.
“We retrieved what we lost in Tokyo,” one top commenter said – as this was the only diving event China didn’t win in Tokyo.
🥇 Another gold medal was won by athlete Sheng Lihao (盛李豪) in the men’s shooting 10m air rifle competition. This is his second gold at the Olympics, as he also won China’s first gold in his competition alongside Huang Yuting (黄雨婷)on Saturday. He previously also won the silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 10m air rifle event.
Huang Yuting also won an additional medal; she won silver in the women’s 10m air rifle final, just 0.1 points behind the Korean gold medalist.
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Chinese Men’s Double Diving 10m Gold Medal” #中国队男双10米台金牌# (62 million Weibo views on Monday).
JULY 29
🔹 Online Criticism over Dutch Athlete Convicted for Rape
Dutch volleyball player Steven van der Velde made international headlines this Olympics, but not for his talent in sports. The 29-year-old was booed by the crowds on Monday after appearing at the match at Eiffel Tower Stadium. In 2016, Van der Velde was convicted for raping a 12-year-old girl and served a prison sentence.
On Chinese social media, Van der Velde’s participation in the Olympics became a top trending topic, with many questioning why he was allowed to compete.
“Are Dutch laws a joke?” some commenters wondered. “Why is he still allowed to compete in the Olympics?”
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Olympic Athlete Once Convicted for Raping a 12-Year-Old Girl Gets Booed” #曾强奸12岁女孩奥运选手首秀遭嘘# (240 million views on Weibo).
🔹 The Most Unexpected Hashtag Thusfar
The most unexpected hashtag I’ve come across on Weibo during these Olympics thus far is “We thought foreigners were holding the Chinese flag” (#还以为是外国人在举中国国旗#).
The hashtag, initiated by the Migu Sports Channel account, shows an image with three foreigners sitting in the audience at the Olympics, with a Chinese flag held in front of them.
Although it looks like the foreigners were holding the flag, it later turns out that it is actually the Chinese audience members just below them holding up the flag.
Many commenters find the scene funny. One person says: “When I was watching [the Olympics] yesterday, I also thought it was a bunch of foreigners holding up the Chinese flag😂😂😂”
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “When You Thought It Was Foreigners Holding the Chinese Flag” #还以为是外国人在举中国国旗# (Over 17 million Weibo views on Monday).
JULY 30
🔹 Sixth Gold: Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha Win & Wang’s Paddle Gets Broken
The popular Chinese male table tennis athlete Wang Chuqin (王楚钦) and female professional table tennis player Sun Yunsha (孙颖莎) grabbed gold on July 30 during the mixed doubles final of table tennis, defeating the North Korean pair Ri Jong-sik and Kim Kum-yong.
There were various aspects of this event that triggered online discussions. Apart from all the speculation over the mysterious North Korean duo, one such incident was how, after the match, Wang Chuqin’s paddle was stepped on and broken by a photographer at the Olympic venue.
The paddle was allegedly inside his luggage when it got stepped on and broken. Many commenters were angry with the photographer for being so careless.
This China versus North Korea game is one of the events that has attracted most attention on Weibo thus far, with one related hashtag getting over 950 million views.
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha vs. Li Jeong-sik and Kim Kum-yong” #王楚钦孙颖莎vs李正植金琴英# (950 million Weibo hashtags).
🔹 Chinese Olympic Champion Li Xiaoshuang Criticizes Gymnastics Coaching Team
Chinese gymnast and Olympic champion Li Xiaoshuang (@李小双) went trending on social media for “saying what others dare not say.” During a livestream, the retired athlete harshly criticized the Chinese gymnastics coaching team.
The criticism comes after a disappointing performance on July 30 during China’s men’s team gymnastics final. The Chinese team was leading until Su Weide (苏炜德), a 24-year-old Olympic debutant, fell twice during his bar routine. Japan won the gold, and China took the silver.
Su Weide had been temporarily added to the Olympic team after main team member Sun Wei (孙伟) injured his right ankle during training.
According to Li Xiaoshuang, one of the problems for the Chinese team is that people often blame the athletes for not winning when it is actually the coaching team that should be held accountable for China losing out on gold. Li argues that people forget the importance of leadership. Not only do some of the training methods need to be improved or updated, but the way young talent is selected also needs to change.
The focus should be on who has the final say in the coaching team, Li said, as the decision to add the 24-year-old Su Weide to the national team at the last minute was a risky move. He also added that if the team doesn’t focus on developing younger talents, they’ll have another problem for the next Olympics.
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Gymnastics Champion Li Xiaoshuang Angrily Criticizes the Gymnastics Coaching Team” #李小双怒斥中国体操教练组# (160 million Weibo views).
JULY 31
🔹 Seventh Gold!
🥇 While many are still processing the disappointment over Wang Chuqin’s performance, there is already another moment of celebration as the Chinese duo Quan Hongchan (全红婵) and Chen Yuxi (陈芋汐) secured gold in the women’s synchronized 10m platform event. This marks China’s 7th gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
China’s 7th gold medal celebrated on Chinese social media by the official sponsors.
Quan and Chen are part of China’s renowned “Diving Dream Team” (跳水梦之队): the exceptional Chinese national diving team.
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Golden Medal for Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi” #全红婵陈芋汐金牌# (150 million weibo views shortly after the win).
AUGUST 1
🔹 It’s Raining Gold
These Olympics have sparked intense discussions on Chinese social media, with so much happening that some people are joking about needing a post-Olympic holiday to rest once Paris 2024 is over.
With ten eleven gold medals, China currently leads the Paris medal count. However, China does not have the most medals overall. Team China has a total of 20 21 medals: ten eleven gold, seven silver, and three bronze. Meanwhile, France holds 26 medals, eight of which are gold. Japan ranks third with eight gold medals and 15 medals overall.
China’s ninth, tenth, and eleventh gold medals were won by:
🥇 Shooting 50 Metre Rifle Three Positions (Men’s): Liu Yukun (刘宇坤)
🥇 Swimming 100 Metre Freestyle (Men’s): Pan Zhanle (潘展乐)
🥇 Athletics 20 Kilometres Walk (Women’s): Yang Jiayu (杨家玉)
AUGUST 2
🔹 Shi Yuqi Apologizes for Not Winning Gold
“I’m sorry, I apologize for not being able to win another medal for the Chinese team,” Shi Yuqi (石宇奇) wrote on Weibo on Friday.
The professional badminton player from China, known for his impressive achievements in men’s singles events, lost to Thai player Kunlavut Vitidsarn during the men’s singles badminton quarterfinals and failed to reach the semifinals.
His apology became a top trending topic on Weibo, where some commenters suggested that the public’s expectations for Shi Yuqi were too high—he was aiming to compete for the gold medal. “You did what you could,” some wrote. “Don’t look at Weibo for the next couple of days, and get some rest.”
In previous years, Shi has faced tough times, particularly after he was banned from Chinese badminton for almost a year in 2022 due to controversial actions and remarks during the 2021 Thomas Cup semifinals in Denmark against Japan’s Kento Momota. After losing the first game (20-22), Momota was ahead in the second game when Shi decided to retire from the match. Afterward, he commented, “If I retire at 20 points, technically, I haven’t lost yet,” which led to his suspension for misconduct.
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Shi Yuqi vs. Kunlavut” #石宇奇vs昆拉武特#
#️⃣ “Shi Yuqi Apologizes” #石宇奇道歉#
🔹 From Olympic Rings to Wedding Rings
China’s 12th gold medal on Friday became even more special when Olympic champion Huang Yaqiong (黄雅琼) was proposed to by her teammate and men’s doubles player, Liu Yuchen (刘雨辰). Liu got down on one knee and popped the question right after Huang’s award ceremony.
It was later reported that Huang was unaware of the proposal beforehand, although everyone else on the team, except her Olympic partner Zheng Siwei, was in on the secret.
Huang shortly after the proposal, image shared on Weibo.
This is not the first time a Chinese athlete has been proposed to during the Olympics. In 2016, Chinese diver He Zi (何姿) was also surprised by a proposal from fellow diver Qin Kai (秦凯). While fans loved the romantic moment, it also received criticism, with some feeling that He Zi might have felt pressured during a moment that was supposed to celebrate her Olympic achievements rather than her personal life.
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Sweet Olympic Proposal” #奥运求婚太甜了#
#️⃣ “Huang Yaqiong Gets Proposed To” #黄雅琼被求婚了#
🔹 Still Holding Number One
China is still holding the number one spot in the Paris gold medal rankings on Friday night, just before entering the second week of the Paris 2024 Olympics. China now holds 13 gold medals.
🥇 China’s 13th gold was won by Wang Zongyuan (王宗源) and Long Daoyi (龙道一) in the men’s 3m springboard final. It was the first time the two participated together at the Olympics.
🥇 China’s 12th gold was in badminton by Huang Yaqiong (黄雅琼) and Zheng Siwei (郑思维) – China’s first badminton gold medal of Paris 2024 in the mixed doubles against South Korea.
AUGUST 3
🔹 Eileen Gu Deletes Compliment on French Star Swimmer’s Account
A bit of sideline Olympic drama was trending on Weibo on Saturday. Léon Marchand, the famous French Olympic swimmer who won his fourth gold, was accused of ignoring a handshake from Team China’s coach Zhu Zhigen (朱志根) (#马尔尚无视汪顺教练握手#).
A brief video of the incident has been trending (watch) that shows the Chinese coach approaching Marchand to congratulate him. Marchand appears to see Zhu reaching out his hand but ignores him and walks on.
Chinese-American freestyle skier Eileen Gu, known as Gu Ailing (谷爱凌) in China, previously had some online interactions with the French athlete, including a compliment on his most recent Olympic achievement. After the controversy over the ignored handshake, Eileen Gu’s compliment to him (“incredible”) disappeared. Netizens noted that Gu had deleted her previous interactions with him on Instagram, which became a trending topic on Saturday night (#谷爱凌删了给马尔尚的所有ins评论#).
Gu was praised for deleting her compliments to the ‘rude’ Olympic swimmer.
Later, there was another twist in the ‘handshake incident’ when it was reported that Marchand, upon learning of the controversy, went to the Chinese team’s rest area with the French swimming team coach to explain and apologize for the incident (#马尔尚道歉了#). Many netizens, however, find his behaviour inexcusable.
🔹 “Chinese people should feel happy and proud”
“After watching tonight’s badminton, table tennis, and tennis matches, Chinese people should feel happy and proud,” blogger Wang Qiao (@王乔) wrote on August 3, concluding a day in which China won three more gold medals (bringing the total to 16!), along with four silver and two bronze. Besides the gold for Chen Meng in table tennis, there was gold for Zheng Qinwen in tennis and badminton gold.
🥇 The gold for Zheng Qinwen (#郑钦文金牌#) was especially noteworthy, as Zheng is the first Chinese Olympic tennis champion since 2004.
🥇 The badminton gold was won by Jia Yifan (贾一凡) and Chen Qingchen (陈清晨) as they beat compatriots Liu Shengshu (刘圣书) and Tan Ning (谈宁) in the women’s doubles final.
🔹 Chen Meng Defeats Teammate Sun Yingsha
🥇 In the women’s singles table tennis final on Saturday, table tennis star Chen Meng (陈梦) defeated her teammate Sun Yingsha (孙颖莎) to win the championship – a repeat of the Tokyo 2020 final. After winning, the two athletes smiled and hugged—photos published on Weiboby People’s Daily received nearly 117,000 likes.
Chen Meng is the third Chinese to win back-to-back Olympic table tennis women’s singles titles. She is following in the footsteps of Deng Yaping (邓亚萍) preceded her by winning Olympic Gold in 1992 (Barcelona) and 1996 (Atlanta); and Zhang Yining (张怡宁), who grabbed gold in 2004 (Athens) and 2008 (Beijing).
Her dad, who was watching from hometown Qingdao, was emotional about Chen’s amazing win. See here.
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Chen Meng Defends her Championship” #陈梦卫冕冠军# (290 million Weibo views shortly after winning, 510 million views later on, 880 million views the next day).
AUGUST 4
🔹 More Gold and Counting, but US Tops Gold Medal Table
Before we lose count, the latest golden medals, bringing the total gold for China to 19:
🥇 Men’s Swimming 4×100 medley relay brought gold for China as Pan Zhanle (潘展乐), Xu Jiayu (徐嘉余), Qin Haiyang (覃海洋), and Sun Jiajun (孙嘉骏) won in a time of three minutes, 27.46 seconds.
🥇 Chinese table tennis player Fan Zhendong (樊振东) beat Sweden’s Möregårdh (4-1) to win his first individual Olympic gold medal in Paris.
🥇 China won its first gymnastics gold medal of the Paris Olympics as Liu Yang led all the way to win the men’s rings event.
Despite China’s many medals during the Olympics, the US has overtaken China for the number one position in the gold medal table. The US now holds 20 gold medals and 71 medals overall, while China has 19 gold medals and 45 medals in total.
🔹 They Cheered for Taiwan: Spectator Removed, Poster Snatched
Another incident that has sparked online discussions occurred on the sidelines of the Olympic competitions during Friday’s badminton events.
A woman held up a poster shaped like Taiwan with the words “Come on Taiwan!” While an Olympic security guard was addressing the situation, a man, presumably Chinese, approached, stood in front of the sign, and then pulled it down and snatched it away. Security personnel subsequently removed the man from the venue.
In the same match, a spectator holding a Taiwan banner was confronted by security and reportedly removed from the arena.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it “strongly condemns the crude and despicable means of malicious individuals ruthlessly snatching the ‘Go Taiwan’ slogan.”
The IOC only allows flags of competing countries and Taiwan competes as Chinese Taipei (TPE).
A nationalistic blogging account reposted photos and videos of the incidents on Weibo, where many commenters praised the Chinese man for snatching the poster and agreed with the removal of the banner. Some people, however, questioned why a simple scarf or banner merely saying “Taiwan” was not allowed, as it did not explicitly promote Taiwan independence.
🔹 Criticism of Sun Yingsha’s Extreme Fans
In recent days, there has been online criticism regarding the overwhelming fan support for Chinese table tennis star Sun Yingsha (孙颖莎). During the August 3 match, when Chen Meng (陈梦) defeated Sun, the boos and cheers from spectators at the Olympic venue clearly showed that many Chinese fans supported Sun over Chen, despite both being members of Team China.
Beijing News (新京报) columnist Su Shiyi (苏士仪) criticized Sun Yingsha’s fans, suggesting that those booing Chen were ruining the atmosphere. “Such fan behavior obviously conflicts with the true spirit of sports and, to some extent, even tarnishes the sports spirit.”
Famous table tennis player and former Olympic medalist Deng Yaping (邓亚萍) also criticized the extreme fandom culture (饭圈文化) surrounding Sun, stating: “It’s all Team China; you can favor someone without attacking the other.”
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Fan Culture Stains the Sport Spirit” #饭圈文化玷污了体育精神#
AUGUST 5
I haven’t had time for a full update today, as I’m preparing for the upcoming edition of the Weibo Watch newsletter. Please check back later for more on the ongoing discussions.
🥇🥇 Gold Medal Update: By Sunday night, China reclaimed the top position on the gold medal table. Team China secured two more golds with more outstanding performances. Sport shooter Li Yuehong (李越宏) clinched the gold in the Men’s 25-metre rapid-fire pistol event, while artistic gymnast Zou Jingyuan (邹敬园), known as the “King of Parallel Bars,” triumphed and won his second gold medal.
AUGUST 6
🔹 Quan Hongchan Breaks Fu Mingxia Record
Alongside Olympic stars like table tennis champions Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin, and swimmer Pan Zhanle, Chinese springboard diver Quan Hongchan (全红婵) has been one of the most-discussed athletes on Chinese social media during Paris 2024.
The diving star is not just noteworthy for her funny expressions (she can’t seem to hide her emotions and is lovably awkward), but also because she is an incredibly talented athlete.
In the women’s 10-meter platform diving final at the Paris Olympics, Quan Hongchan won the gold medal, securing the 22nd gold for Team China in Paris 🥇. In doing so, she broke the record of former Chinese diver Fu Mingxia (伏明霞) and became the youngest triple Olympic champion in China’s history at just 17 years old.
This was her second gold in Paris, after winning gold with Chen Yuxi (陈芋汐) in the women’s synchronized 10m platform event. She previously won gold in the women’s 10m platform at the Tokyo Olympics, at just 14 years old!
Quan Hongchan is honored on social media by Chinese Oympic sponsors.
Chinese springboard diver Fu Mingxia won her first Olympic gold medal in the women’s 10-meter platform at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics at 13. She later won two golds in Atlanta, but she was almost 18 at the time—Quan Hongchan is younger now than Fu was in 1996.
Emotional Quan after her gold medal win.
On Weibo, many people are congratulating Quan on her win. At the same time, they also adore her because she is still so young, and sports fans have watched her mature since the Tokyo Olympics. The moment she won her medal and fell into the arms of her coach, crying, is being shared all over social media.
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Quan Hongchan Becomes China’s Youngest Triple Medial Champion” #全红婵成中国奥运最年轻三金王#
#️⃣ “Quan Hongchan Breaks Fu Mingxia Record” #全红婵打破伏明霞纪录#
AUGUST 7
🔹 China’s First Gold of Weightlifting, First Artistic Swimming Gold
🥇 China took gold in the artistic swimming team event on Wednesday night. This win in artistic swimming (also called synchronized swimming) was particularly special, as Russia, now absent from the 2024 Paris Olympics, had dominated the gold medals in this event since 2000.
🥇 Li Fabin (李发彬) secured China’s 23rd gold medal on Wednesday in the men’s 61kg weightlifting division. The 31-year-old athlete set an Olympic record by lifting 143kg in the snatch and 167kg in the clean and jerk weightlifting exercise.
AUGUST 8
🔹 Wang Chu-KING
It’s clear that Chinese table tennis star Wang Chuqin is one of the most popular athletes on Chinese social media during these Olympics. He is also affectionately called “Wang Chu-KING” (王楚king).
On Thursday, Wang competed in the men’s semifinals alongside his teammate Ma Long (马龙) against France. If Team China manages to secure a victory in the men’s team event against Sweden on Friday, and the women’s team wins on Saturday, there could be a historic achievement for China at these Olympics: winning all five table tennis gold medals in Paris (they have already claimed gold in mixed doubles and both men’s and women’s singles).
There has been a lot to do about Wang these Olympics, not just because of his athletic performance, but also due to some controversies. After winning gold Wang’s favorite paddle was stepped on and broken by a photographer at the Olympic venue on July 30. Although the photographer was identified by Chinese netizens has having the ‘3488’ number on his back, there was no follow-up in the issue.
Another incident involved a Swedish journalist bumping into Wang at the Olympic venue. Many viewers suggested she intentionally rammed into him, and some sources claim that the journalist was banned from the venue, although this has not been reported by other media outlets.
🔹 Three More Gold
🥇 Thursday brought three more gold medals. Liu Hao (刘浩) and Ji Bowen (季博文) competed for gold in the men’s canoe double 500m final. Xie Siyi (谢思易) excelled in the men’s 3m springboard diving, and Luo Shifang (罗诗芳) secured victory in the Women’s 59kg weightlifting event.
🔹 Waking Up to Five New Medals
On Thursday, People’s Daily started the day on social media with the hashtag “Woke Up To Find Team China Won 3 Gold 2 Silver 1 Bronze” (#一觉醒来中国队再夺3金2银1铜#)
Due to the time difference between Paris and Beijing, gold medals won in Paris are sometimes celebrated a day later in China, with people waking up to check the result of the Wednesday nights in Paris.
On Weibo, state media outlet People’s Daily publishes it “jet leg diary” or “time difference diary” to keep readers up to date on what happened at Olympics while they were sleeping. The main title says: “Rushing towards victory.”
The golden medals are for Li Fabin (weightlifting) and the artistic swimming team, as described before.
🥇 Another gold, China’s 25th, is for Hou Zhihui in the women’s 49 kg final. Hou also won in Tokyo three years ago.
The other medals were awarded to 24-year-old female weightlifter Guo Qing (郭清), who won silver; Cao Liguo (曹利国) in the 60-kg Greco-Roman event, who also won silver; and female wrestler Feng Ziqi (冯紫琪) in the Women’s Freestyle 50kg category, who won bronze.
AUGUST 9
🔹 From Boxing to Canoe Gold
By Friday night, China is back at the number one spot in the gold medal rankings with 32 medals – the US is is second place with 30. Not that we’re counting, of course…
🥇 Chang Yuan (常园) was announced the winner of the women’s boxing 54kg final against Hatice Akbas of Türkiye.
🥇 The Chinese pair of Xu Shixiao (徐诗晓) and Sun Mengya (孙梦雅) grabbed gold in the women’s 500m canoe double.
🥇 Chen Yiwen (陈艺文) won the seventh gold for the Chinese diving “dream team” at the Paris Olympics by winning the women’s 3m springboard gold.
🥇 The most-anticipated gold of the day is for Fan Zhendong (樊振东), Ma Long (马龙), Wang Chuqin (王) at the men’s table tennis, meaning Team China now has four medals in table tennis – just one more to go in the women’s table tennis and China will have all five!
New updates following very soon. In the meantime, also check the latest Weibo Watch newsletter.
AUGUST 10
🔹 From Boxing to Canoe Gold
In these last days of the Paris Olympics, China keeps adding gold medals to its list and switching places with US on who ranks first on the gold medal table. By Saturday night, there were 37 gold medals in total for China, which again ranked first in gold medals, with US coming second.
🥇 Wu Yu (吴愉) won the gold medal in Women’s 50kg, defeating her Turkish opponent by 4-1. Wu Yu is China’s 2nd woman boxer to have become an Olympic champion – just a day earlier, Chang Yuan was the first.
🥇 Liu Huanhua (刘焕华) won the men’s 102kg weighlifting title with a total of 406kg.
🥇 China won its first-ever Olympic gold medal in the women’s rhythmic gymnastics group all-around, with team members Wang Lanjing (王澜静), Ding Xinyi (丁欣怡), Guo Qiqi (郭崎琪), Hao Ting (郝婷), Huang Zhang Jiayang (黄张嘉洋).
🥇 Cao Yuan (曹缘) successfully defended his title in the men’s 10-metre platform diving. This means that all eight gold medals in diving are for China at the Paris Olympics.
🥇 Chen Meng (陈梦), Sun Yingsha (孙颖莎), and Wang Manyu (王曼昱) did it! They won the fifth gold in table tennis in Paris. This means that China now has 37 of the 42 golds since table tennis first came to the Summer Olympics in 1988.
AUGUST 10/11
🔹 Boxing Gold for Li Qing
🥇 Chinese boxer Li Qing (李倩) became a number one trending topic on Weibo in the early hours of Sunday morning (China time) for her gold medal in the women’s boxing 75kg category (#李倩拳击75公斤级金牌#).
Li Qing’s opponent was the strong Panamanian boxer Atheyna Bylon.
At Chinese state media outlet Xinhua, they’re struggling to keep up with the medal count. Just after China won its 39th medal with Li Qian’s gold, “urgent” (obviously a note to the editor) accidentally sneaked into the published headline.😂
🔹 Fan Zhendong: “Table Tennis Might Not Be My Future”
As the Paris Olympics draw to a close, it’s clear that table tennis has been the most-discussed and popular event among Chinese fans. On Saturday night, table tennis-related topics continued to dominate Weibo’s trending list.
A top trending topic centered on Fan Zhendong (樊振东) is about Fan suggesting that his future may not necessarily involve table tennis. The topic arose during an interview where Fan was asked about his plans after Paris.
“It won’t necessarily involve table tennis, but it will definitely be good,” he said.
Thousands of people have commented, expressing their sympathy for Fan and wishing their “Little Fatty” (小胖, Fan’s affectionate nickname) well. During these Olympics, Fan defeated Sweden’s Möregårdh to win his first individual Olympic gold medal in Paris.
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Fan Zhendong Says His Future Might Not Necessarily Involve Table Tennis” #樊振东说未来不一定是乒乓球了# (over 410 million views).
🔹 The Twin Swimmers
🥇 Twin sisters Wang Liuyi (王柳懿) and Wang Qianyi (王芊懿) secured China’s 38th gold medal on Saturday night (Paris time) in the synchronized swimming duet. This marks their second medal in Paris, following their victory in the artistic swimming team event.
AUGUST 11
🔹 Li Wenwen’s Gold: A New Record for China
Chinese state media are praising Li Wenwen (李雯雯), who claimed gold in the +81kg weightlifting event with a total of 309kg. It’s China’s 40th gold medal on this final day of the Olympics.
Xinhua is praising weightlifter Li on Weibo.
Li Wen’s reaction to her win was heartwarming and hilarious. She scooped up her coach like he was light as a feather (he had zero choice) and brought him on stage to celebrate her win with her. Even the Chinese commentator called her adorable (see screenshots).
This result surpasses the 39 gold medals won by the Chinese delegation at the London Olympics, marking the highest number of gold medals China has ever won at an overseas Olympics. However, it is not their best overall gold medal count: during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China secured 48 gold medals.
🔹 Tennis Skirts Are All The Rage
On this last day of the Olympics, the hashtag “Tennis Skirts Becoming New Work Uniform” (#网球裙快成了打工人的新班服#) is trending, with some workers opting to wear tennis skirts to the office in these summer days.
This tennis skirt trend is part of a broader phenomenon where clothing, shoes, or accessories worn by Olympic champions quickly become online hits, highlighting that Olympic athletes have more influence than many Chinese celebrities.
China’s Caijing News noted that while tennis skirts were already popular this year, Zheng Qinwen’s recent win has further inspired consumers to incorporate tennis gear into their daily wardrobes.
AUGUST 12
🔹 Quan Hongchan’s Hometown Celebrates Her Win
As the Olympics have come to a close, in the hometown of Olympic star Quan Hongchan, it’s finally time to replace the Tokyo Olympics poster with one celebrating her success in Paris. 🎉🥇
To recap her achievements: In 2021, the young springboard diver from Guangdong won gold in the women’s 10m platform at the Tokyo Olympics, at just 14 years old. At the Paris Olympics, alongside Chen Yuxi, Quan secured gold in the women’s synchronized 10m platform event on July 31st. On August 6th, she also won gold in the women’s 10-meter platform diving final (with barely a splash).
By winning her first gold in Tokyo and her third Olympic medal in Paris, she broke the record of former Chinese diver Fu Mingxia (伏明霞). At just 17 years old, she became China’s youngest triple Olympic champion. It’s easy to see why her hometown is so proud of her! 💯
Hashtags:
#️⃣ “Quan Hongchan’s Hometown in Guangdong Hangs Up a New Poster” #全红婵广东老家竖起新海报#
🔹 300 Medals
I’m going to wrap up this thread here. Stay tuned, as I’ll be starting a new post on the Paralympics soon (link to follow).
China is reflecting on a highly successful Olympics in Paris, where the country made history by securing its 300th gold medal. With 40 gold medals and 91 overall, China shares the top spot with the US in the gold medal rankings and ranks second overall.
A poster on social media celebrates China’s 300th Olympic medal. The milestone was achieved on August 10th with the women’s table tennis victory.
🔹Chinese Olympic Athletes Top 10 Most Meme-Worthy Moments
Time to revisit some of the most noteworthy moments that happened on the sidelines or podiums of the Olympics! I just finished this article listing my favorite top 10 moments, check it out here.
Thanks for following!
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By Manya Koetse
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China Memes & Viral
Trump and Takaichi: The Unexpected Love Affair
The meeting between US President Donald Trump and new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi became a popular topic on China social media, thanks to a stream of meme-worthy moments.
It was a pleasant autumn day in Tokyo on October 28, when Trump first met Japan’s newly-elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗).
Takaichi welcomed Trump at the State Guest House as her first foreign guest since taking office as Japan’s first-ever female leader, offering what Yomiuri Shimbun described as “Takaichi-style hospitality.”
During the visit, Trump and Takaichi held a bilateral summit during which Takaichi expressed desire to build a new “golden age” for the US-Japan alliance. Afterwards, they signed agreements and exchanged gifts — a golf bag for Trump, signed by Japanese golf star Hideki Matsuyama (with whom Trump has previously played), and “Japan is Back” baseball caps for Takaichi.
Following a lunch that featured Japanese vegetables and American steak, the two visited the US Navy’s Yokosuka base, where Trump remarked that he and Takaichi had “become very close friends all of a sudden.”
On Chinese social media, the meeting drew considerable attention.
There has been heightened focus in China on Sanae Takaichi beyond anti-Japanese sentiment and her recent appointment as Japan’s first female Prime Minister — as she is widely regarded as a far-right politician who denies, downplays, or glorifies historical facts related to the Second Sino-Japanese War (1931-1945).
Japan’s official narrative of its wartime past has long been a major obstacle to deeper reconciliation between China and Japan, and it is highly unlikely that Takaichi’s views of the war are going to bring China and Japan any closer. Among others, she is known for visiting Yasukuni Shrine, the Tokyo shrine that honors Japan’s war dead (including those who committed war crimes in China). She also claimed that Japan’s aggression following the Manchurian Incident, which led to the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, was an act of “self-defense.”
In light of these tensions in Sino-Japanese relations, and because of the changing dynamics in the current US-China relationship, many details surrounding the Trump–Takaichi meeting became popular talking points.
🔴 Trump: Reaffirming US Dominance, Insensitive to Japan’s Wartime Past
Many netizens focused on moments they interpreted as Trump asserting dominance or showing disregard for Japan.
👉 One awkward moment showed how, during the welcoming ceremony, Takaichi failed to properly escort the US president. He walked ahead of her twice, and, despite the cues to salute the Japanese flag, Trump simply walked past it instead, leaving Takaichi looking visibly surprised (video).
While some saw it as a case of poor etiquette instructions behind the scenes, most reactions framed it as a sign of power dynamics in the US–Japan relationship, with some commenting: “Why would the master bow to his son?” (Hashtags: “Trump Skips the Japanese Flag” #特朗普略过日本国旗# and “Trump Ignores Takaichi Twice in a Minute” #特朗普1分钟内两次无视高市早苗#)
👉 Another widely discussed moment came at the Yokosuka base, where Trump invited Takaichi on stage and mentioned how their bond was based on WWII (“Born out of the ashes of a terrible war”) — a comment that seemed to catch Takaichi off guard (video). He quickly followed up with, “our bond has grown into the beautiful friendship that we have,” but not before her expression visibly changed.
Under the hashtag “Trump’s Remark Gave Takaichi a Scare” (#专家：#特朗普一句话吓了高市早苗一大跳#), Chinese media outlet Beijing Time (@北京时间) commented: “She was afraid that Trump might go on to say something she couldn’t respond to easily.”
Image by online creator.
👉 Later, at a reception at the US Embassy in Tokyo, Trump referred to the Pacific War as a “little conflict.” While the euphemism may have been aimed at promoting reconciliation (“We once had a little conflict with Japan — you may have heard about that — but after such a terrible event, our two nations have become the closest of friends and partners…” video), many Chinese netizens and outlets, including The Observer (观察者网) interpreted the remark as dismissive. This fueled hashtags like “Trump Calls the Pacific War a Small Conflict” (#特朗普将太平洋战争称作小冲突#) and “Trump Refers to Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombing as a Small Conflict” (#特朗普称轰炸广岛长崎只是小冲突#).
🔴 Takaichi: Smiles & Body Language Seen as Deferential to US
Alongside critiques of Trump’s behavior, much attention was also paid to Takaichi’s facial expressions and body language.
On Chinese social media, she was widely seen as overly eager to please — described as “fawning over Trump” (谄媚) in an “exaggerated” (夸张) way. Global Times highlighted how even Japanese netizens were criticizing her gestures as inappropriate for a prime minister (#日本网民怒批高市早苗谄媚#).
Some jokingly drew comparison to the famous movie about Hachiko, the loyal Japanese dog and his owner, played by American actor Richard Gere.
Some commenters described her behavior as that of an affectionate “pet” eager for approval.
Meme in which Takaichi was compared to Captain Jia (贾贵), known for his exaggerated flattery and traitorous behavior.
One meme compared Takaichi’s expressions toward Trump to those of Chinese actor Yan Guanying (颜冠英), who played the supporting role of Captain Jia (贾贵) in Underground Traffic Station (地下交通站), a satirical Chinese sitcom set during the Japanese occupation. The character was known for his exaggerated flattery and traitorous behavior.
🔴 Trump & Takaichi: A US-Japan Love Affair
But the most popular kind of meme surrounding the Takaichi-Trump meeting portrayed them as a newly smitten couple or even newlyweds. AI-generated images and playful commentary suggested a “love affair” dynamic. Watch an example of the videos here.
AI-generated images circulating on social media.
Some netizens linked this imagery to deeper historical dynamics — drawing distasteful parallels to American troops in postwar Japan and the women involved with them, including references to the reinstatement of the “sexual entertainment” industry once used to serve US forces.
For many, however, it was more about humor than history.
Some shared images showed just how much happier Trump seemed to be meeting with Sanae Takaichi than with her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, in 2024.
A considerably warmer meeting.
In the end, there are two sides to this peculiar “love affair” meme.
👉 On one hand, it plays on the affectionate behavior and newfound friendship between the two — Trump held Takaichi close to him multiple times, and she said she would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. At the same time, the portrayal reduces Takaichi to a submissive romantic partner rather than a political equal, reinforcing gendered stereotypes — a dynamic that likely wouldn’t have emerged as strongly if she were a man.
This kind of “couple pairing” is quite ubiquitous in Chinese digital culture, especially involving people who are unlikely to have an actual relationship in real life. And although censorship would never allow this kind of pairing to thrive online if it involved Chinese politicians, the fact that it features Trump and Takaichi makes it less susceptible to online control.
A previous example of a noteworthy “love affair” meme was the one pairing US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi with Chinese political commentator Hu Xijin (see it here).
👉 Second, the Trump–Takaichi meeting is often placed in a Chinese context — showing the two getting married in a Chinese-style ceremony or inserting them into Chinese film scenes. While this may seem like light banter, it also reveals a deeper layer to the discussion: many believe that China plays a central role in the US–Japan relationship, interpreting the meeting through a Chinese lens in which US–China dynamics and the history of Sino-Japanese war are all interconnected.
Will they live happily ever after? Some may fantasize they will — but others think the weight of the past, both American and Chinese, will always cloud their sunny future. For now, most enjoy the banter and how “political news has turned into a romance variety show” (“政治新闻愣成了恋综了”).
By Manya Koetse
(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)
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China World
“It’s in the Details” – The Xi-Trump ‘G2’ Meeting on Chinese Social Media
“The tariff drama, directed by Trump himself with himself as the main actor, has finally come to an end.”
Last update 1 November 2025
The meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump has been a major topic across Chinese social media, from the announcement of the big ‘G2’ summit to the actual meeting between the two nations, which have been caught up in trade tensions and rocky relations.
The announcement and actual meeting became the top trending topic across Chinese social media platforms over the past week.
Trump announced the meeting with Xi as the ‘G2’ on his Truth Social platform.
The meeting, that lasted approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes inside Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, was the first in-person meeting between Trump and Xi since Trump began his second term in January 2025. The summit took place on the sidelines of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) meetings and concluded Trump’s ‘Asia tour’ that also included visits to Malaysia and Japan.
Chinese news reports about the meeting were overall positive, with Xinhua noting that the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in various areas and promote “people-to-people exchanges.”
State-run media also reported Xi’s emphasis on dialogue over confrontation and highlighted Trump’s praise of China. Reports by CCTV and China Daily emphasized Xi Jinping’s remarks during the meeting on the important of stable US-China relations: “The partnership and friendship of our two countries, is a lesson from history, and also a necessity of the present” (“两国做伙伴、做朋友，这是历史的启示，也是现实的需要”).
During the meeting, Xi also said that, given the differences in national conditions, some US-China disagreements are inevitable, and as the world’s two largest economies, “occasional friction is normal” (“两国国情不同，难免有一些分歧，作为世界前两大经济体，时而也会有摩擦，这很正常”). He added: “To face rough waters and challenges, both heads of state should steer the right course and keep the larger picture in mind to ensure the steady sailing of China–US relations” (“面对风浪和挑战，两国元首作为掌舵人，应当把握好方向、驾驭住大局，让中美关系这艘大船平稳前行”).
Trump told reporters that he rated the meeting with Xi “a 12 out of 10.” On Truth Social, he also called it a “truly great meeting” that resulted in some major agreements.
Among others, the US cut fentanyl-related tariffs on China from 20% to 10%, China agreed to pause its October 9 export controls on rare earths for one year, while Washington suspended related controls, and Beijing authorized massive purchases of American soybeans and agricultural products.
The two sides also agreed to maintain regular contact. Trump expressed his hope to visit China in April 2026 and invited President Xi to visit the United States.
G2: Changing Power Dynamics
Video footage showing Trump escorting Xi to his vehicle after the meeting went viral across platforms from Toutiao to Douyin.
As often happens in a social media environment where in-depth discussions of high-level meetings are heavily restricted, it’s the visuals that matter — with netizens dissecting the gestures and body language of both leaders.
One image that circulated online focused on the difference in body language between the Trump-Xi meeting and the meeting between Trump and Japan’s new leader Takaichi, suggesting it translates to different power dynamics.
Trump and Takaichi versus Trump and Xi.
On October 28, when Trump met with Takaichi, he appeared to ignore cues to salute the Japanese flag, instead briskly walking past it. Takaichi looked visibly surprised. While some attributed it to poor etiquette guidance behind the scenes, most reactions framed it as a reflection of the power dynamics in the US–Japan relationship — with the US clearly on top.
The smaller meeting moments and visual gestures of respect that Trump showed toward Xi were seen by many — including this Zhihu commenter, 高山流水教育者 — as important signs and changing US-China dynamics.
These gestures ranged from Trump arriving at the venue early and “respectfully waiting” (恭候) for the Chinese delegation, to being the one who extended his hand first during the handshake. After the meeting, both leaders smiled and Trump courteously escorted Xi to his car and exchanged a few quiet words with him (#特朗普送习主席上车#).
The commenter writes: “The truth lies in the details!” (“细节见真章” xìjié jiàn zhēnzhāng).
Another issue that has repeatedly come up on social media is how Trump prioritized a one-on-one meeting with Xi Jinping while skipping the APEC meeting — suggesting a preference for major power dynamics and his so-called ‘G2’ US–China alignment over broader engagement with the Asia-Pacific bloc.
Trump’s initiative to call the US-China meeting a “G2” seemed well-received by the Foreign Ministry of China, which responded to a reporter’s question about the use of this term on October 31. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) suggested that China and the United States could demonstrate “major power responsibility together” by cooperating on issues beneficial to both countries and the rest of the world (#中方回应特朗普所称G2会议#).
The fact that Trump called it a “G2” speaks volumes for many about China’s strong global leadership today — especially coming from someone often described as having a “mentality of worshipping the strong” (慕强心理 mù qiáng xīn lǐ).
The media campaign China launched ahead of the Xi–Trump meeting to assert its claims over Taiwan may also have played a role — with a series of state media commentaries emphasizing reunification and the declaration of October 25 as “Taiwan Restoration Day,” there appeared to be added pressure to ensure Taiwan would not be used as a bargaining chip.
Taken together, the meeting and the details surrounding it are taken as a sign that Trump now accepts China as a stronger power than he did during his first term.
At the same time, Trump’s eagerness is also seen as a reflection of how his foreign policy efforts have fallen short in resolving domestic challenges. In that sense, his use of “G2” underscores both China’s rising position and the domestic pressures facing the United States.
With the fruitful outcome of the meeting and Trump showing clear respect toward China — and, as many suggested, even more respect than toward Japan — there seems to be a generally positive attitude and a noticeable shift in sentiment toward the US president on Chinese social media.
“Old Trump is an honest guy,” one person wrote on Weibo. Others on Douyin wrote: “US–China cooperation is a win-win situation.”
One observer on Weibo wrote: “The tariff drama, directed by Trump himself with himself as the main actor, has finally come to an end after all his tossing and turning. Life is like a play and it all depends on your acting skills. Old Trump treats politics as a show, which has broadened our horizons and added a bit of extra amusement to the world.”
By Manya Koetse
with contributions by Miranda Barnes
(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)
Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us. First-time commenters, please be patient – we will have to manually approve your comment before it appears.
©2025 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.
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