Chapter Dive
No Tolerance for ‘Wild Imams’ in China – But ‘Weibo Imams’ are Thriving
This week, Weibo netizens voiced their anger about what they deemed an unfair trial for a Xinjiang imam by the District Court. Although Chinese authorities have no tolerance for what they call ‘wild imams’, online imams are thriving on Weibo.
In November 2014, Chinese media and Reuters reported that China was targeting ‘wild imams’, jailing almost two dozen people who preached illegally in the western region of Xinjiang, where the government is countering violent campaigns by Islamist Uighur militants who want to establish a separate state, also referred to as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).
This week, Weibo netizens voice their anger about the trial procedures for one imam case. According to one netizen‘s post, the convicted imam’s lawyer did not show up in the Xinjiang district court for the appeal as he would not “defend the guilty”.
China’s Campaign against Religious Extremism
China has implemented several measures the past few years to keep religious expressions to a minimum after a string of attacks allegedly committed by Chinese Muslim extremists. Xinjiang authorities became extra strict about the ‘promotion of religious extremist ideology’. The wearing of the burqa was banned in February 2015, along with the wearing or using of religious badges, artifacts, memorabilia and symbols. This also meant no niqabs, hijabs or large beards in buses.
As part of China’s crackdown on ‘terrorist criminals’ and campaign against ‘religious extremism’, 22 people from Xinjiang were sentenced to jail in November 2014. They were sentenced from 5 to up to 16 years in prison for three different types of religious crimes. The first crime category was that of people engaging in ‘illegal preaching’ – also referred to as ‘wild imams’. The second type was that of people who were still engaged in illegal religious work after being removed from their post, and the third was that of people committing illegal acts while working as a religious person (China News 2014).
The ‘mass sentencing’ of ‘religious offenders’ in 2014, image via China News.
The case that received attention on Sina Weibo this week was referred to as the “imam teaching Koran case”, and involved an imam from Xinjiang who was reportedly arrested for illegally teaching the Koran to 17 students in the mosque.
This Weibo post, by a user nicknamed Nuh Zam Zam, was first spotted by PhD researcher Tricia Kehoe (see tweet below). She also tweeted the court case document that was uploaded by the original Weibo poster. The document states that the Yili court is reexamining the case because of “inappropriate original punishment” (“原判量刑
On Weibo: Much anger among Uyghur netizens about blatantly unfair trial of Iman arrested for teaching Koran pic.twitter.com/eQEXw4R2aY
— Tricia Kehoe (@triciamkehoe) March 14, 2016
Netizen Nuh Zam Zam, who describes himself as a Muslim “fighting for constitutional rights, defending freedom of religion”, writes on his Weibo page:
“[Yili Prefecture in Xinjiang reinvestigates the ‘teaching-Koran case’:] When one imam in Huocheng County taught Koran lessons to 17 citizens in the mosque, he and the mosque Rector were sentenced to five and four years in prison for ‘gathering a crowd and disturbing public order’. The Yili middle court already rejected their appeal before, and affirmed the original sentence. The other day, Yili court hurriedly re-examined the case again because of “inappropriate sentencing”, but the lawyer did not show up because he would “not defend the guilty”. Yili has more similar ‘trials’.“
This post was shared over 60 times and attracted dozens of comments that were filtered by Weibo censors. “It’s not like they were lecturing about stoning or whipping, that would’ve really deserved punishment,” one Weibo user responds.
Another netizen says: “If you’re guilty, you’re guilty – that’s the law.” One Weibo user responds: “This is a typical case of policies exceeding the constitution. What a disgrace!”
Islam is permitted in China, as long as it conforms to state-approved principles. Instead of guaranteeing free exercise of religion, the Chinese constitution only guarantees freedom of religious belief. In other words; you can believe what you want, but how you engage with your religion in everyday life has to comply with what the state deems right (also read How Chinese are China’s Muslims?, 2015).
Amnesty International has reported harsh measures taken by Chinese authorities to suppress unrest in the northwest, including unfair trials. “The fight against terrorism is no excuse for repression,” says Amnesty.
Will the ‘Real’ Imam Please Stand Up?
A ‘wild imam‘ (野阿訇) is an ‘imam’ without an official position as a religious person. These imams are thus not appointed or approved by the government.
According to Wang Hong, director of China’s Research Center for National Security, there can be no place in China for ‘wild imams’ and their illegal preaching activities. The root cause of terrorism, Wang writes in Chinese media outlet Global Times, is its nature as an ideology. Wang suggests that Muslim separatist group ETIM uses “distortions of Islam” ideology to gain their followers, and that this is mostly done by ‘wild imams’. This explains China’s zero tolerance policy towards imams preaching in communities and ‘influencing people’ without the consent of (local) authorities.
Through social media, the Public Security Office of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region warns netizens for the dangers of underground lecture classes run by ‘wild imams’ who could potentially harm children both mentally, by influencing them with extremist ideas, and physically, such as the wild imam who allegedly beat a 4-year-old pupil to death for not knowing the scriptures (see featured image and image below, both by Xjgat.gov.cn).
On the Xinjiang Review blog, Professor Ma Haiyun, specialised in Islam and Muslims of China, writes that China’s definition of ‘wild imams’ asks for new basic definitions of what an imam is, and calls for further investigation into the legal processes for becoming an official imam in China.
According to Ma, an imam basically is a Muslim religious worker and/or a Muslim theological intellectual. Although the “ideal imam” has both the career and the knowledge, an imam could also be a Muslim intellectual without the official post. But in China, Ma writes, this definition does not hold, as only those imams who have been officially appointed count as the ‘real’ ones. The so-called ‘wild imam’ arguably does have the knowledge and community leadership that can potentially influence people, but has no official job as religious worker.
Ma writes that the distinction between real imams and wild imams is problematic, as many Uighur Muslims might have more trust in so-called ‘wild imams’ than in the ‘real’ ones that are approved and appointed by government authorities.
But it is very likely that Chinese authorities, in their turn, have no trust in those powerful imams who are most respected by local communities. This triggers the question of who the ‘real’ imam is actually is.
Preaching Online: ‘Weibo Imams’
Although ‘wild imams’ are generally not tolerated in the PRC, ‘Weibo imams’ are. There are quite some imams who have verified Weibo accounts from which they post videos or microblogs about Islamic teachings.
One of Weibo’s imams is Imam Mu Huaidong, a Beijing-based imam from the Deshengmen Mosque with over 8100 followers. Mu Huaidong uses his Weibo page to share different news items and to talk about the mosque’s charity work.
Li Haiyang from Henan has nearly 8000 followers. One of his most popular recent posts is about Islamic diet, titled “Raising some Awareness about Islamic Dietary Law” (“关于清真食品立法的几点认识“). The blog, that was posted on March 10, talks about imposing national standards on halal food in China. Li Haiyang writes that all Muslims should follow the classic rules and abide by their beliefs, of which Islamic dietary laws are an important part, and that the PRC cannot discriminate against Muslim ethnic groups by refusing to legally protect Muslim halal food.
The imam’s post was shared over 460 times and attracted many comments, also of many netizens who strongly oppose the imam’s views: “China is a secular country ruled by an atheist Party, and firmly boycotts Islamic laws!”, some netizens say. But others support the imam saying: “Please don’t let the nonsense here get to you, imam, just stand firm.”
Another example of a Weibo imam is Imam Ma Guangyue from Gansu, who has over 15400 fans on his Weibo account. His most recent post, that was shared 413 times, is a video where he addresses the question ‘is it allowed for Muslims to marry Han Chinese?’. In the video, he explains how Chinese Muslims are only allowed to marry other Muslims and should not marry Han Chinese who have not converted to Islam.
“Stoning people, beheading people and oppressing children and women – such an evil cult,” one netizen responds on the imam’s page. “No matter what religion or ethnicity,” another Weibo user responds: “There will be good and bad people everywhere.” The imam’s Weibo page is a collection of hundreds of comments of netizens discussing and arguing over Muslim religion, with many attacking it and others supporting it. The imam’s posts, nevertheless, are well-read and shared collectively by Weibo’s netizens.
There are more examples of Weibo imams, such as, amongst others, Han Daoliang from Zhengzhou, or Imam Yong Shengmu from Xi’an.
All of Weibo’s popular verified imams are from outside China’s muslim region Xinjiang. This is possibly because China’s strict religious policies are mainly aimed at the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, while there are softer approaches to religion in other provinces of China (Ma & Chang 2014). This status quo means that it’s uncommon to see news of ‘wild imams’ outside Xinjiang, just as it will be less likely to see a ‘Weibo imam’ from Xinjiang.
Except for ‘Weibo imams’, there are a myriad of Weibo accounts that support them and propagate Islam. Meanwhile, on the Weibo page of Nuh Zam Zam, the discussion on the trial of the Xinjiang imam continues. There may be no place for ‘wild imams’ in China, but these ‘Weibo muslims’ make the religion alive and kicking on China’s social media.
– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo
©2016 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.
Chapter Dive
“Going to Town to Handle Business”: How Adidas Went from Hated in China to a Chinamaxxing Brand
Why has Adidas regained cultural relevance in China while Nike is struggling despite its global strength?
My premium newsletter covering the stories, memes, debates, and viral moments shaping online conversations in China. Subscribe here to receive future editions.
Just five years ago, Adidas was one of the most criticized foreign brands in China. Now, it seems to have become one of the most celebrated. Ironically, the brand’s biggest success in China yet started with a mistake it made last month.
In 2021, Adidas – along with Nike and other foreign brands – faced severe backlash and boycotts in China for participating in the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) move to stop sourcing cotton from the Xinjiang region, which Chinese consumers viewed as a hostile anti-Chinese political stance (and was framed that way by state media and official channels).
Chinese livestreamers for the brands were scolded online, Adidas employees were brought to tears, and stores across the country saw their sales drop. People began posting videos of themselves burning their Nike Air Jordans on Weibo. For the brands involved, it became a marketing nightmare.
Screenshot of SCMP report about the Nike sneakers being burnt, Adidas employees facing backlash back in 2021.
But now, Adidas has managed to completely turn its image around in mainland China, where it is being praised for its top-of-game PR skills.
Adidas: Heading to Town to Take Care of Business
Over the past few years, Adidas has increasingly embraced “New Chinese Style” (新中式), a design direction that blends Chinese aesthetics with contemporary fashion. The October 2025 launch of its “Chinese New Year Jacket”—combining tang suit-inspired elements with classic Adidas sportswear—became a huge hit, not just in China but globally.
The Adidas Chinese New Year collection became a huge hit in 2025. On the left: American influencer Hasan Piker wearing the jacket while visiting Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
But that was only the beginning of Adidas’s social media success in China.
In late May, some netizens spotted a machine-translated text on the Adidas website that immediately went viral for its unintentional humor.
A jacket promoted in English with the unremarkable phrase “pair it with jeans for errands around town“ appeared on the Chinese website as the clunky “pair it with jeans to handle business in the city“ (搭配牛仔裤，在城里办事 zài chénglǐ bàn shì).
The original English text and the clunky machine translation on the right.
More than a simple mistake, it was a cultural mistranslation. Running some errands is not the same as 办事 bàn shì in Chinese, which is more formal, bureaucratic language for handling affairs, such as going to the bank, notary, or police station—not a quick run to buy some eggs and milk.
For many Chinese netizens, the phrase evoked an image of an old villager cycling into the county town for official business, all while wearing an Adidas jacket.
Although the website was quickly adjusted, the meme was already snowballing and evolved into the more playful “off to town to take care of business” (进城办事 jìn chéng bàn shì).
One popular comment played on the rural-to-city associations of the phrase:
💬 “While you’re back in the village talking trash about me, I’m already wearing Adidas and heading into town to take care of business.”
Adidas responded with surprising speed and wit.
Instead of apologizing for the mistake, they posted a video showing their own “off to town to do business” T-shirt, which quickly became available for sale online and at flagship stores in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu.
Chinese actor and Adidas ambassador Li Xian (李现) was later spotted wearing a “handling business” T-shirt, and the comment sections exploded.
Adidas read the room and went on to launch a marketing campaign featuring China’s popular possum meme wearing one of its jackets alongside slogans such as “Wear Adidas, Handle Serious Affairs” and “Wear Adi, Handle Big Things“—a nod to the original mistranslation and a series of viral wordplays built around the brand’s Chinese name (including “穿Adi办大事” and “穿Adi, 办das”, with das meaning dàshì 大事, “important business” here).
They also put up signs labeling some of their stores as “Adidas Errands Office” (阿迪办事处).
Rather than distancing itself from the joke, Adidas amplified it, becoming even funnier than the netizens themselves.
Other brands in China, from Lays to Alipay, saw the hype surrounding the meme and also started incorporating the “handle business” phrase into their online campaigns, referencing Adidas.
Various Chinese brands incorporated the Adidas meme into their own campaigns.
Because Adidas’s response felt effortless, authentic, and on-brand, it greatly boosted the brand’s popularity and appeal among young Chinese consumers.
Nike’s Grass is No Longer Greener
Sportswear giant Nike also became a major trending topic in China over the past week, but for entirely different reasons. Nike hasn’t been doing all that well recently, and the brand’s decline went viral in the same week that Adidas’s success was evident.
Nike became a top trending topic under the hashtag “Chinese consumers are abandoning Nike faster than anyone expected” (中国消费者抛弃耐克比想象中更快) after reports that a pair of sneakers originally sold for 899 yuan (US$132) are now selling for 429 yuan ($63) and still failing to attract buyers.
Nike’s decline is noteworthy because the brand was once booming in China. As with many other Western brands, it symbolized quality, prestige, and a cosmopolitan future for much of the 1990s and 2000s.
In a 2011 study of Chinese consumer aspirations, one respondent imagined a future in which she would drive a Mercedes-Benz, wear Nike, and eat KFC—a vision of modernity built around foreign brands. Another person dreamt of wearing “Nike clothes and Nike shoes (…) on the green grass, swinging golf clubs under the golden sunshine.”[1]
But Nike’s grass is no longer greener. Chinese commenters largely agree that much of the trust and desire surrounding the brand has eroded.
Many former Nike consumers now prefer Chinese brands such as Anta, Li-Ning or ERKE. Multiple posts on Chinese social media cite the Xinjiang cotton controversy as a turning point from which Nike never fully recovered.
The Localization Dilemma: A Strategic Catch-22?
The contrasting fortunes of Nike and Adidas reveal something important about the position of foreign brands in China today.
As domestic brands improved and narratives of national rejuvenation and the “Chinese Dream” gained prominence under Xi Jinping, consumer sentiment toward Western brands shifted dramatically, especially amid a growing number of controversies involving them.
From a Dolce & Gabbana campaign deemed racist to a witch hunt for Western brands listing Hong Kong and Taiwan as separate countries, international brands increasingly started struggling to find their place between politics, patriotism, and consumers who are choosing “Made in China” over global consumer culture.
As Zhihong Gao[2] observed as early as 2012, the rise of cultural confidence and renewed appreciation for Chinese traditions created a dilemma for foreign brands.
They find themselves caught in a strategic catch-22: if they localize too much, they risk losing the distinctiveness that made their brands attractive in the first place, while also reinforcing consumer preference for local cultural elements; yet if they remain too foreign, they risk appearing culturally tone-deaf and disconnected from Chinese consumers.
This is where Adidas appears to have found a sweet spot.
Unlike Nike, which seems to be living off its past success while showing little urgency in adapting to the Chinese market, Adidas has fully embraced Chinese digital culture, local humor, wordplay, and youth trends without abandoning its own identity.
Rather than pretending to be Chinese, Adidas is participating in Chinese culture as a distinctly foreign brand. By celebrating the unique elements of Chinese culture, both in tradition and modernity, it is boosting both its own image and the cultural pride it is tapping into. That is Chinamaxxing in a nutshell.
- Read more about Chinamaxxing here.
- Read more about the rise of ‘proudly made in China’ here.
- Read more about Nike vs ERKE here.
[1] Kelly Tian and Lily Dong, Consumer-Citizens of China: The Role of Foreign Brands in the Imagined Future China (London: Routledge, 2011), 70–71.
[2] Zhihong Gao, “Chinese Grassroots Nationalism and Its Impact on Foreign Brands,” Journal of Macromarketing 32, no. 2 (2012): 184–185.
By Manya Koetse
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Chapter Dive
Comrade Trump Returns: The 2026 Trump–Xi Summit on Chinese Social Media
A special deep dive into the 2026 Xi-Trump summit through Chinese social media, highlighting the top 15 viral moments, internet memes, main themes, and netizen commentary.
In This Special Edition:
🎭 The Top Cast: Who’s who in this geopolitical blockbuster
🎬 Dramatic Synopsis: The summit as a movie plot
🔍 Critical Review: Taiwan, the “Thucydides Trap,” & a Russian surprise
🧩 Memorable Scenes: The top 15 most viral memes & moments
🗣️ Quotes: Key remarks from leaders and netizens
🎬 Behind the Scenes: An unscripted moment
🎵 Soundtrack: The summit in songs
On Chinese social media, Trump’s visit to China started before he arrived and continued after he left.
The long-awaited meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, from May 13 to May 15, was the first visit by a sitting US president to China in nearly a decade – a major diplomatic event that has been closely followed by Chinese netizens.
Even before Trump’s Air Force One landed in Beijing, the Xi-Trump summit was top trending.
Alongside the more serious commentary, Chinese social media has been full of posts reflecting people’s curiosity, excitement, and amusement about Trump’s presence in Beijing this past week. That is not only because the meeting between the two leaders—and the issues on the table—is of major significance, but also because Trump has held a special place in China’s meme culture since the early days of his first presidency.
Trump’s first years in office catapulted him into China’s meme machine. When he remarked that Korea “used to be part of China,” and after a series of high-profile decisions—including withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, exiting the Paris Climate Agreement, and announcing that the US would leave UNESCO—many Chinese netizens joked that the US president was inadvertently helping China by weakening America’s global influence.
The trade war and Trump’s hardline stance toward Chinese tech companies were also, paradoxically, seen as forcing China to accelerate its own push for technological self-reliance and domestic innovation.
Taken together, these developments earned Trump—whose Chinese name is commonly transliterated as 川普 (Chuānpǔ)—the nickname “Build-the-Nation Trump” (川建国, Chuān Jiànguó), fueling the tongue-in-cheek notion that he is actually China’s “secret agent” who is working to undermine American power while inadvertently advancing China’s rise on the world stage.
For the same reason, he is also often referred to as “Comrade Trump” (川普同志).
This often bantering approach to US politics, combined with China’s tightly controlled online environment, where more critical and open discussions of top-level political events are always limited, has given rise to alternative narratives around major diplomatic meetings that sometimes read like a movie script.
That dynamic was already evident the moment Trump landed in Beijing.
To some Chinese netizens, his appearance at the door of Air Force One looked like a scene from The Truman Show. One post making this comparison was reposted nearly 6800 times.
“It’s not the Truman show, but the Trump show,” one netizen added.
To stay on theme, I’ll take a similarly cinematic approach in this overview of Chinese social media reactions to the Xi-Trump meeting. From “top cast” to “dramatic synopsis” and the “most memorable scenes,” let’s recast this high-level rendezvous as a Beijing blockbuster.
🎭 The Top Cast
🇨🇳
⭐ Xi Jinping 习近平 – General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China
• Li Qiang 李强 – Premier
• Wang Yi 王毅 – Foreign Minister
• Cai Qi 蔡奇 – Party’s organizational chief / Xi’s aide
• Yin Li 尹力 – Beijing Party chief
• He Lifeng 何立峰 – Vice Premier overseeing economic affairs
• Dong Jun 董军 – Defense Minister
• Zheng Shanjie 郑栅洁 – Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
• Han Zheng 韩正 – Vice President of China
• Ma Zhaoxu 马朝旭 — Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Xie Feng 谢锋 — Chinese Ambassador to the US
• Wang Wentao 王文涛 — Commerce Minister
• Zhao Leji 赵乐际 — Chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee
• Lei Jun 雷军 — Founder and CEO of Xiaomi
🇺🇸
⭐ Donald Trump – The President of the United States of America
• Eric Trump — Trump’s son
• Lara Trump — daughter-in-law
• Marco Rubio – Secretary of State
• Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defense
• Scott Bessent — Treasury Secretary
• David Perdue — US Ambassador to China
• Howard Lutnick — Commerce Secretary
• Jamieson Greer — US Trade Representative
• Steve Witkoff — Special Envoy
• Sean Hannity – Fox News
• Bret Baier – Fox News
Special Guest Appearances:
• Elon Musk — Tesla and X
• Tim Cook — Apple
• Larry Fink — BlackRock
• Kelly Ortberg — Boeing
• Stephen Schwarzman — Blackstone
• Brian Sikes — Cargill
• Jane Fraser — Citigroup
• Jim Anderson — Coherent
• H. Lawrence Culp Jr. — GE Aerospace
• David Solomon — Goldman Sachs
• Jacob Thaysen — Illumina
• Michael Miebach — Mastercard
• Dina Powell McCormick — Meta
• Sanjay Mehrotra — Micron Technology
• Cristiano Amon — Qualcomm
🎁 Surprise Appearance:
• Jensen Huang 黄仁勋 – CEO of Nvidia (aka “Old Boss Huang” 黄老板 aka “Leather Jacket Brother” 皮衣哥)
• X Æ A-12 Musk – Elon Musk’s 5-year-old son
Notable absence:
• Melania Trump – First Lady
• Peng Liyuan (彭丽媛) – First Lady
🎞️ Genre and Supporting Themes
Political Drama ⎮ Geopolitical suspense ⎮ Romance/Tragedy
▪️ War in Iran / the Strait of Hormuz crisis
▪️ Russia’s war in Ukraine
▪️ Taiwan
▪️ Trade and tariffs
▪️ AI and semiconductor export controls
▪️ Rare earths and critical mineral supply chains
🎬 Dramatic synopsis
Two powerful leaders. One increasingly unstable world.
The world’s most unpredictable dealmaker flies 13 hours to the capital of his greatest rival, his close friend, or “neither an ally nor a friend” (it changes), for a long-awaited “G2” moment aimed at stabilizing relations between two powers that publicly insist they can thrive without each other, while privately knowing the opposite may be true.
There is a lot at stake, from chips to oil and beyond. A $50 billion semiconductor market. A war in the Middle East. A rare earth supply chain. And an island of 23 million people that is on everyone’s minds.
As the flags wave in the Beijing wind, the tea is poured, and the lavish banquet is prepared, deep mistrust simmers behind carefully staged handshakes and smiles.
Will the protagonists talk their way toward a more peaceful next chapter? Will a surprise cameo by the “Leather Jacket Brother” (皮衣哥) Jensen Huang help move the plot forward? And, in an increasingly fragile global order, will the eagle and the dragon finally realize that they may need each other more than they are willing to admit?
📝 Production Schedule
📌 May 13 (Wednesday) – Arrival Day
🔹 Evening: Beijing Capital International Airport
– Trump and his delegation arrive in Beijing
– They are welcomed by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng (韩正)
📌 May 14 (Thursday) — The Main Day
🔹 Morning: The Great Hall of the People
– Welcome ceremony, military parade
– Bilateral talks between Trump and Xi for over two hours
🔹 Afternoon: Temple of Heaven (天坛)
– Joint tour of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (祈年殿)
🔹 Evening: The Great Hall of the People
– State Banquet (国宴) hosted by Xi Jinping
📌 May 15 (Friday) — Working Sessions & Departure
🔹 Morning: Zhongnanhai (中南海)
– Zhongnanhai private garden tour
– Trump and Xi small-group talks
🔹 Afternoon: Beijing Capital International Airport
– Trump’s departure in the afternoon around 14:30
📝 The business delegation track ran in parallel with the CEOs having their own meetings with Chinese counterparts on the sidelines of the Xi-Trump meetings.
🧵 Critical Review
A lot has happened since Trump and Xi’s previous face-to-face meeting in Busan, making this major bilateral meeting one that the entire world watched.
As described by China’s foreign ministry, during their meeting, Trump and Xi “explored the correct way for two major powers to coexist,” while the White House stressed that the two sides mostly “discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between our two countries.”
During their “G2” moment, Xi and Trump spent nearly nine hours together in total—from the formal talks at the Great Hall of the People to their walk-and-talk at the Temple of Heaven, the banquet, and the smaller-group session at Zhongnanhai.
One thing that stood out throughout the visit was the extent to which both sides went out of their way to flatter one another. From the moment Trump arrived at the airport until the second he departed, he received full VIP treatment: children waving flags, a 21-gun salute, a lavish state banquet, and even a PLA military band performing his unofficial YMCA anthem.
Trump, in turn, repeatedly praised Xi as a “great leader,” called China “a wonderful country,” described Beijing as “a great place,” and said he had received “a magnificent welcome like none other.” He also said that US–China relations had a “fantastic future together.”
During the 2025 Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea, a common observation was that “the truth lies in the details” (细节见真章), and the same was true this time. Chinese media and netizens paid close attention to small gestures: Trump being the first to extend his hand, his red tie (with red symbolizing success and good fortune in Chinese culture), and the way he worked his way down the receiving line of senior Chinese officials, shaking each of their hands outside the Great Hall of the People.
One widely discussed moment was Trump’s military-style salute to Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun (董军). The gesture was warmly received online, with some netizens joking that “the comrade has returned home” (同志回家了).
It is clear that hospitality and warm rhetoric were not the problem. At least on the surface, this temporary US–China Beijing honeymoon looked picture-perfect, and became a true media spectacle. But behind the red carpets and blue skies, several deeper themes emerged.
🔍 The Thucydides Trap
An important narrative element on the Chinese side was the “Thucydides Trap” as mentioned by Xi Jinping during the formal bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People.
The “Thucydides Trap” (修昔底德陷阱) is a concept popularized by Harvard scholar Graham Allison, drawing on the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, which holds that war becomes highly likely when a rising power challenges the established ruling power.
“The world has come to a new crossroads,” Xi said: “Can China and the United States overcome the so-called ‘Thucydides Trap’ and create a new paradigm of major-country relations?”
This “new paradigm” and the new shape of US-China relations became one of the most important themes of this meeting. The broader message from the Chinese side was clear: China sees its growing role on the world stage as inevitable, and the United States is expected to make room for that reality. Or, put differently, the world order is changing, and there are now more captains on this ship.
🔍 Taiwan issue
The “Thucydides Trap: concept is also closely tied to “the Taiwan problem,” and China’s pre-summit warnings on the issue left little room for misunderstandings.
On the Chinese side, Taiwan was framed as its most important issue and a red line, with officials warning that the broader US–China relationship could be jeopardized if the “Taiwan question” were mishandled.
⚠️ “If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability,” Xi told Trump. “Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”
Xi emphasized that ‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as “irreconcilable as fire and water” (水火不容), adding that maintaining peace and stability across the Strait represents the greatest common interest shared by China and the United States.
After the summit, it became clear that the US side understood China’s position. In an interview with Fox News, Trump acknowledged that Taiwan is “one of their [China’s] most important issues.” Stressing that China does not want to see Taiwan become independent, Trump said he preferred to maintain the status quo and cautioned Taiwan against formally declaring independence from China.
He also suggested that the United States has no interest in becoming involved in a war between Taiwan and mainland China. “Do we really have to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war? I’m not looking for that.”
His comments seemed to suggest that, for now, respecting China’s red lines while preserving the status quo may be sufficient to keep things stable.
Trump’s words seemed to raise alarm bells in Tapei, where a presidential spokesperson said it was “self-evident” that Taiwan is “a sovereign, independent democratic country”.
Meanwhile, on Chinese social media, official channels widely reported on Trump’s words, and a related Weibo hashtag (#特朗普警告台独#) received over 230 million views.
One Weibo commenter wrote:
💬 “The meal wasn’t eaten for nothing [饭没白吃]. Comrade Trump really did deliver!”
🔍 Historic Continuum
One notable aspect of this visit was the extent to which both sides emphasized the long historical continuum and importance of Sino–US relations.
The visit to the Temple of Heaven was symbolic in several ways. Beyond the site’s significance in Chinese history, it was also known to much appreciated by Henry Kissinger, who helped pave the way for the normalization of Sino-American relations in the 20th century.
During his state banquet speech, Trump also highlighted the deep historical roots of US–China relations, and drew a direct line from ancient Chinese philosophy to the intellectual roots of the United States.
He noted that Benjamin Franklin published sayings of Confucius as early as 1737, referenced Confucius’s depiction on the façade of the Supreme Court of the United States, and mentioned how President Theodore Roosevelt channeled Boxer Indemnity funds toward the founding of the prestigious Tsinghua University, Xi Jinping’s alma mater.
Also noteworthy is how Trump stressed that China and the US were “allies in World War II,” with Roosevelt’s mentions of “the brave people of China.”
The speech was praised on Chinese social media. One popular blogger wrote:
💬 “Holy sh*t. Trump’s toast was full of classical references and complex sentences. He actually did his homework.”
Taken together, Trump’s remarks and the historical framing in Chinese media conveyed a broader diplomatic message: Sino-American relations in 2026 were presented as part of a much longer history that had led to this moment. This gave the meeting added weight, framing it as a major turning point and the start of a new era in US–China relations, rather than just another bilateral talk.
🔍 Russian Surprise
While Xi and Trump were in the midst of the state banquet, media reports came out from Moscow that Kremlin spokesperson Peskov had announced that Putin’s will soon visit China, and that preparations were complete, with the date to be announced “soon” (later confirmed: May 19-20).
A related hashtag immediately reached the top trending lists, with many netizens responding to the Putin visit news with a mix of nationalistic pride and humor – joking just how popular and lively Beijing is as an international “hotspot.”
With China hosting both the US and Russian leaders within the same week, many suggested it underscored just how important China’s role in global diplomacy is.
💬 “Trump will be seated in front of the tv just to ensure Putin isn’t getting better treatment than him,” one commenter joked.
Despite the commotion over the accouncement, some commenters on Zhihu suggested that it actually was not such a big deal.
💬 “Don’t overthink it,” one Zhihu user wrote: “Trump’s itinerary was pushed back to May, it was originally scheduled for April.”
Others argued that these visits should be placed into a larger context of China playing a key diplomatic role for resolving the Iran war and the Hormuz crisis.
💬 “Don’t just focus on Putin coming — look at the sequence before him: first Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi, then Trump, then Putin, then Pakistan (already announced). Except for Israel, every party involved in the Hormuz Strait issue, and everyone with meaningful influence over it, has come.”
Then there were those who saw deeper meanings behind the dates:
💬 “Trump chose the 13th and 14th to visit China. Putin chose May 20th to visit China. Both are expressing their sincerity very directly! 1314520.”
In Chinese online culture, the numbers “1314” sound like 一生一世 (yīshēng yīshì), meaning “for a lifetime” or “always and forever,” while “520” sounds like 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), or “I love you.” With Trump picking 13/14 (一生一世) and Putin choosing 5/20 (我爱你), they seemed to be spelling out a love confession to China, with Xi Jinping, apparently, as the most sought-after romantic partner in global diplomacy.
🔍 Uncertain Conclusions?
According to Chinese official sources, the summit’s main diplomatic outcome was the agreement to frame China–US relations as a “constructive strategic stability relationship” (中美建设性战略稳定关系) — a new official positioning of the bilateral friendship.
In Trump’s own words: “The relationship between the United States and China is going to be better than ever before.”
In the commentary that has emerged since the summit, opinions are divided over how much the nine hours of talks between Xi and Trump will change or impact the key issues at hand. Various international media wrote that there is little clarity about what was actually achieved.
What does seem clear, however, is that for the time being both sides got something they wanted: friendlier China–US relations, an America that appears more cautious in its wording on an “independent Taiwan,” and a China that agrees with the United States that Iran should never obtain nuclear weapons.
Whether this will amount to a true “happy ending” remains to be seen, but it does mark the beginning of a new phase in bilateral relations—one in which there appears to be greater understanding of each other’s positions.
Xi accepted Trump’s invitation to visit Washington this autumn and also promised to send him seeds from the roses he admired in the former imperial garden at Zhongnanhai. At the very least, something tangible will bloom from these meetings.
🧩 Memorable Scenes
📌 1. Memes in Anticipation
On Chinese social media, Trump’s China visit had already begun a day or more before the president’s arrival in Beijing, with various AI-generated memes imagining the trip. These ranged from images of Trump and Elon Musk enjoying Beijing street food and Tsingtao beer to scenes of Trump and his entourage solemnly visiting the Temple of Heaven and, in all earnestness, paying their respects there.
📌 2. The Grandson Coming to America
Before Trump’s arrival, rumors spread across Weibo and WeChat that CCTV-6, the movie channel of China’s state broadcaster, would air the Chinese film A Grandson from America (孙子从美国来) on the day he landed in Beijing. The 1990s feel-good film, about an elderly man in rural China who unexpectedly becomes the caregiver for his American grandson, was seen as a cheeky nod to the meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, with the American “grandson” cast as clearly inferior in status to his Chinese “grandfather.”
The rumor, however, turned out to be false.
The supposed CCTV-6 programming was itself a meme. Perhaps so many people were willing to believe it because CCTV-6 has occasionally made eyebrow-raising scheduling choices before—such as changing its lineup to air anti-American Korean War films for three consecutive days when the U.S.-China trade war was heating up.
📌3. Jensen Huang’s Surprise Attendance
When Jensen Huang (黄仁勋), the CEO of NVIDIA, boarded Air Force One during a stopover in Anchorage, Alaska, he instantly went viral.
Huang plays a special role in this story because he has become a symbol of the central technological dispute between China and the United States. China is one of NVIDIA’s most important potential markets, but the company’s most advanced AI chips are currently barred from being sold there under US export controls.
It was initially reported that Huang would not be joining the trip. When he appeared at the last minute after all, Chinese social media quickly responded with a wave of memes imagining all kinds of ways he might have boarded the presidential delegation in Alaska.
Like this video. Or the images below. Some people joked that “Leather Jacket Brother” (皮衣哥), as he is nicknamed in China for his signature black leather jacket, was invited so last-minute that he didn’t even have time to bring any luggage – explaining why he stood on the tarmack without any suitcases.
Various memes showed him chasing after the Air Force One plane, and others showed him ‘bribing” the delegation to pick him up with big packs of Maotai liquor or other goods.
📌 4. The “Chinese” Meals Served on Board of the Air Force One
Photos of the meals served aboard Air Force One quickly made their way onto Chinese social media. The menu consisted of sliced beef brisket, onions, bell peppers, bok choy, and lo mein noodles stir-fried in a sesame soy sauce and topped with chopped scallions, along with a spring roll, a fortune cookie, and a beverage of choice.
The photo was posted by Margo Martin, communications deputy director in the Trump administration, and reactions on Chinese social media were mixed. Some appreciated that the American side was already trying out something more “Chinese” ahead of the visit. Others argued that the meal had little to do with actual Chinese cuisine and instead reflected a stereotypical version of American Chinese food.
📌 5. Lonely Soldier in Front of Air Force One
When Air Force One arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport on the evening of May 13, and millions of people tuned into the livestreams of Trump’s arrival, a People’s Liberation Army honor guard soldier stood completely still at his post. The contrast of the enormous American presidential plane coming in and the Chinese soldier not moving a millimeter made an impression and went viral as a symbol of Chinese diligence and pride.
📌 6. Trump’s Visit Finally Gets Bumpy Road Fixed
One viral post joked about a familiar phenomenon in China: infrastructure projects that have dragged on for years suddenly get completed at lightning speed when an important political event is about to happen. The post showed construction workers, just ahead of Trump’s visit, busy working on the road near the Temple of Heaven north gate – the route the US delegation would be taking.
💬 “This stretch of road has been in terrible condition for years, but it looks like they’re going to fix it overnight. Once again, the deadline proves to be the number one productive force.”
📌 7. Trump’s “Crazy Thursday”
A running joke on Chinese social media was that Donald Trump had deliberately arrived on a Wednesday night so he could be in China just in time for KFC’s “Crazy Thursday” (疯狂星期四).
Since its launch, the weekly KFC promotion has become deeply embedded in Chinese internet culture. So it was only natural for netizens to imagine Trump, Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and Tim Cook heading out for a late-night snack after the state banquet.
What should he order? Since Trump’s Chinese name is Chuan-pu (川普, Chuānpǔ), the obvious choice would be a Chuan-Burger (川味汉堡, Chuānwèi Hànbǎo) — a Sichuan-style spicy burger, of course.
📌 8. The Magpie Moment
One of the most noteworthy moments of the morning of May 14 came when a magpie landed just behind Donald Trump as he stepped out of his car.
The moment, captured by a Hong Kong reporter, quickly created a buzz online. In Chinese culture, the magpie (喜鹊, xǐquè) is traditionally seen as a symbol of good news and prosperity — the first character, 喜 (xǐ), means “joy” or “happiness.” Netizens were quick to interpret the bird’s appearance as a sign that Trump’s visit had the approval of the heavens.
📌 9. Elon Musk “360-Degree Filming”
After the bilateral meeting, the American delegation posed for a group photo on the steps of the Great Hall of the People. Elon Musk — affectionately nicknamed “Old Musk” (老马, Lǎo Mǎ) by Chinese netizens — drew particular attention for his enthusiastic “360-degree filming.” Like an excited tourist, he spun in a full circle while recording everything around him.
“They were genuinely happy today,” was how Hong Kong media outlet Ta Kung Wen Wei framed the moment.
On Weibo, one related hashtag received over 80 million views, while another hashtag surpassed 99 million views.
📌 10. Lei Jun’s Selfie Moment with Elon Musk
One of the most-reposted moments of the state banquet was when Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun approached the table where Tesla CEO Elon Musk was seated before the start of the dinner, and snapped a quick selfie with him, while Musk was pulling some funny expressions.
Lei Jun’s spontaneous photo was jokingly called a sign of “star chasing” and “fan behavior.” The tech entrepreneur was one of the first Model S owners in China, and admired Musk long before the Xiaomi EV line. Some Xiaomi EV drivers joked that he was making them lose face.
Some netizens used AI to swap the situation around.
📌 11. Fox News Reporter Bret Baier Going Local
During the summit, many netizens snapped pictures and videos of Fox News reporter Bret Baier going around the city reporting, which created a funny unintended Droste effect with Beijing reports coming out on how he reported on Beijing.
🔹 Chinese media reported on how Bret Baier was reporting on China by ordering a sausage in English from a robot clerk at a convenience store (video).
🔹 Baier also reported on China as a surveillance state. Meanwhile, clips of him making that point were circulating widely on Chinese social media. In one segment, he told viewers that his crew’s driver received a parking fine on his phone just minutes after illegally parking, using it as a live example of China’s surveillance capabilities. Chinese netizens were quick to point out the irony, noting that Baier himself appeared to be violating traffic rules by filming while standing in an active traffic lane (video).
🔹 He was also spotted playing table tennis in a Beijing park in sweltering weather while wearing a full suit, much to the amusement of many netizens (video).
📌 12. Elon Musk’s 5-Year-Old Son Becomes Youngest Influencer
Jensen Huang wasn’t the only surprise guest at the summit. Elon Musk also brought along his five-year-old son, X Æ A-12 (in China, simply known as “Little X” 小X). The little boy appeared in a Chinese-style vest and carried a traditional tiger-head bag (虎头包), making him, quite possibly, the youngest person ever to attend a state-level U.S.–China summit.
One unexpected side effect of X’s appearance in summit footage was a surge of interest in his outfit. Chinese netizens quickly identified both the handmade tiger-head bag – from a Guangxi ethnic minority artisan brand – and the Chinese-style vest, and links to the items spread across social media. On Taobao, the bag was listed for 338 yuan (about US$49), while the vest sold for around 16 yuan (US$2.35).
The bag’s viral success became a major news story, framed as “traditional intangible cultural heritage going global.” Hand-stitched by Guangxi ethnic minority embroiderers, the tiger-head bag sold out within hours. (I also ordered one on Taobao, and received a notification today that they won’t be shipping out until late July).
📌 13. The Banquet Centerpiece
The centerpiece table at the welcoming banquet—which accompanied dishes such as lobster in golden broth, crispy spiced beef, Peking roast duck, salmon in mustard sauce, classic conch pastry, tiramisu, and more—was a spectacle in its own right and quickly became a topic of discussion online.
Designed as an elaborate miniature landscape, it featured a large pond, swans (traditional symbols of fidelity and harmony), white doves representing peace, flowers, garden pavilions, and a detailed replica of Beijing’s Temple of Heaven.
📌 14. Jensen Huang Has Noodles in the Hutongs
Jensen Huang went viral multiple times over the past week, but one standout moment was his noodle stop at a hutong in central Beijing. He was filmed standing outside eating while dozens of people watched and took pictures; other clips showed him strolling through the surrounding alleyways.
About the noodle place: the address is No. 83 Fangzhuanchang Hutong (方砖厂胡同83号院). It is a small Bib Gourmand-listed eatery that serves only zhajiangmian (Beijing fried sauce noodles). Waiting in line was already common, but with Jensen Huang’s visit going viral, queues are likely to get even longer. Located between Nanluoguxiang and Qianhai, it makes for a perfect stop for a late lunch and an afternoon stroll. (Worth noting for your next hutong trip.)
The restaurant, by the way, was remarkably quick to capitalize on the moment and establish itself as the Jensen Huang noodle spot. By May 15, it had already put up a poster featuring Jensen Huang enjoying a bowl of noodles there (image via @_FORAB on X).
📌 15. The KTV Night
Chinese netizens jokingly fantasized about what would happen after the Trump–Xi summit: a late-night KTV session in Beijing with Donald Trump, Tim Cook, Lei Jun, Elon Musk and Larry Fink.
With the whisky bottles, fruit platters, and dim purple lighting, it is a classic Chinese KTV scene. The men sing “My Good Brother” (我的好兄弟) together, an appropriate song about friendship, loyalty, and supporting each other through difficult times.
🗣️ Quotes
🎙️ “The most important thing by far: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon” (Donald Trump upon departure from D.C. to China).
🎙️ “There are those who say this is maybe the biggest summit ever. They can never remember anything like it. In the United States, people aren’t talking about anything else.” (Donald Trump during the bilateral meeting in the Great Hall of the People.)
-“It seems Trump was very happy with the welcome ceremony. This is a treatment he’s never enjoyed in the US, and the US probably could not organize a welcome ceremony on this scale.” (Popular Weibo comment after the welcome ceremony.)
🎙️ “The Taiwan issue is the most important issue in China–US relations. If it is handled properly, the overall relationship between the two countries can remain stable. If it is handled poorly, the two sides could face confrontation or even conflict, pushing the broader China–US relationship into a highly dangerous situation.” (Comments by Xi during bilateral meeting as reiterated by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.)
🎙️ “This visit is a historic and landmark visit. Thus far, we have established a new bilateral relationship – a constructive strategic stable relationship – which constitutes a milestone event.” (Xi Jinping while hosting Trump in Zhongnanhai.)
🎙️ “The days of Trump’s visit to China were the most disciplined, most normal, and most presidential days since he took office.” (Blogger @许韬de微博 on May 15.)
🎙️ “The Chinese do not want to see this place—let’s just call it a place, because no one knows how to define it—go independent. I think they probably would do something pretty harsh, and then they would be met harshly and bad things will happen (..) But I’d like to stay the way it is (..) I don’t want anyone to become independent. Do we really have to travel 9500 miles to fight a war? I am not looking for that.” – (Trump in Fox News Special Report Spotlight, May 15.)
🎙️ “The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can proceed in parallel, reinforce one another, and benefit the world.” (Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on May 15 during a press briefing.)
🎬 Behind the Scenes
During a B-roll-style Fox News livestream that, for at least 90 minutes, showed little more than preparations and staff members walking around the Temple of Heaven grounds, one cameraman kept rolling during a notable confrontation between the U.S. press pool and Chinese security.
While Trump and Xi Jinping toured the historic site, journalists and some members of the U.S. delegation were directed into a holding room inside the temple complex. They protested, insisting they were part of the Trump motorcade. The four-minute clip—which I extracted from the two-hour livestream and posted here—ends with journalists physically pushing their way out to rejoin the motorcade, with one member of the group reportedly saying, “We’re leaving! Don’t treat others the way they treat us.”
The incident occurred around the same time that one of Trump’s Secret Service agents was reportedly denied entry to the complex because he was armed, causing a delay in the visit.
🎵 Soundtrack
During the banquet, the Military Band of the People’s Liberation Army (中国人民解放军军乐团), led by conductor Wang Dengmei (王登梅), performed a music program: the actual soundtrack of this trip, with some notable choices.
🎵 Yulin Folk Tune (榆林小曲) — Traditional northern Shaanxi folk music, highlighting Chinese regional culture.
🎵 America the Beautiful (美丽的阿美利坚) — Iconic patriotic song honoring the United States.
🎵 China in the Glow of Lights (灯火里的中国) — Contemporary song celebrating China’s prosperity and development.
🎵 Edelweiss (雪绒花) — Familiar American favorite from The Sound of Music, evoking warmth and nostalgia.
🎵 The Butterfly Lovers (梁山伯与祝英台) — Classic Chinese love story and one of China’s best-known orchestral works.
🎵 Sousa March Carnival (苏萨进行曲《童年华》) — Festive medley of classic American marches.
🎵 Under the Silver Moonlight (在银色月光下) — Beloved folk song symbolizing China’s ethnic diversity.
🎵 We Are the World (天下一家) — Message of global unity and cooperation.
🎵 As You Wish (如愿) — Popular modern Chinese ballad.
🎵 Can You Feel the Love Tonight (今夜爱无限) — Disney’s Lion King song emphasizing harmony and affection.
🎵 Ode to the Pear Blossom (梨花颂) — Peking opera-inspired piece showcasing traditional Chinese artistry.
🎵 Y.M.C.A. — Trump’s unofficial anthem and a lighthearted diplomatic gesture.
That’s a wrap!
Many thanks to Miranda Barnes for helping curate some of the most memorable memes.
By Manya Koetse
(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)
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