Chapter Dive
The Hashtagification of Chinese Propaganda
From tech-powered messaging to pop culture politics, China’s propaganda has undergone a major transformation in the social media age.
PREMIUM NEWSLETTER | ISSUE #38
Dear Reader,
October 1st marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Flags, hearts, balloons—National Day celebrations turned Chinese social media red.
Among the key players in leading the propaganda around National Day was People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China. To commemorate the occasion, People’s Daily published a column titled “Today’s China, Tomorrow’s China” (今天的中国，明天的中国)1, outlining a clear vision for the future and emphasizing China’s rise under the Party’s leadership.
The article highlighted how hard work and perseverance are crucial to achieving the ‘China Dream,’ with national unity being the driving force behind the country’s continued progress. It also stressed the pivotal role of China’s youth in shaping the future of the nation.
The article was accompanied by four posters, each conveying a specific message:
“Today’s China is a China where dreams are continuously realized” (今天的中国是梦想接连实现的中国)
“Today’s China is a China full of vibrancy and vitality” (今天的中国是充满生机活力的中国)
“Today’s China is a China that carries on the national spirit” (今天的中国是赓续民族精神的中国)
“Today’s China is a China closely connected to the world” (今天的中国是紧密联系世界的中国)
A related hashtag, “75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China” (#新中国成立75周年#), received over 590 million views on Weibo.
But People’s Daily also put out a much simpler message, posting the hashtag: “I Love You, China” (#我爱你中国#).
This hashtag was accompanied by an online poster featuring the Chinese characters for “China.” The characters in the picture are shaped by various symbols representing both traditional and modern China, from lanterns and Tiananmen to rockets and railways. That post was shared over six million times.
The immense popularity of the poster and the “I Love You China” hashtag page, initiated by People’s Daily and garnering over eight billion views through the times, highlights the strength of Party-led propaganda in the social media era.
A Major Shift
A few days ago, De Balie, a cultural venue in Amsterdam, hosted an event focused on how Chinese state propaganda has evolved, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. As a participant in the discussion, I’ve recently been reflecting on the nature of Chinese propaganda in the digital age.
Propaganda has always been a key element of the Party’s strategy—not just for the past 75 years, but for over a century. Since the founding of the Central Propaganda Department in 1924, three years after the establishment of the Communist Party, propaganda has played a central role in shaping official narratives. China’s propaganda system exerts significant influence over nearly every major medium involved in disseminating information within the country, from news outlets and educational institutions to cultural organizations, artistic circles, and literary institutions.2
China’s rapid digitalization and the rise of social media posed significant challenges for officials in disseminating propaganda, particularly in the early 2010s when there was an explosion of self-media, app culture, and intense celebrity idolization. Amid this cacophony of new media channels, Party propaganda was increasingly overlooked as people’s attention shifted to what they found more engaging, such as movie stars and other celebrities representing new, exciting lifestyles.3
This was not the first ‘disruptive force’ the Party Propaganda Department had to confront. (Side note: Chinese officials, aware of the negative connotations of ‘propaganda’ in English—though it’s a neutral term in Chinese, 宣传—later changed its English name to the ‘Publicity Department.’)
As Stefan Landsberger notes in Chinese Propaganda Posters,4 the Party’s well-established system for propaganda and political education faced similar challenges in the 1980s following the Open Door policy. This policy significantly transformed Chinese society, bringing a wave of foreign cultural and lifestyle influences and accelerating the spread of electronic media.
Although the spread of non-official media and information may have disrupted the central messaging dynamics of the Propaganda Department in the 1980s, the growing presence of radio and television sets in people’s homes also allowed Party leaders to shift their focus from propaganda posters to new media as a means of communicating political messages.5
A similar shift has occurred over the past seven to eight years when it comes to social media. Initially, propaganda authorities struggled to convey official messages on Weibo and other emerging digital platforms, but in 2017, China’s propaganda system saw a pivotal change in its approach to domestic social media, particularly on Weibo.
Instead of trying to pull young people into traditional Party narratives, it began weaving propaganda directly the fabric of social media itself —blending politics seamlessly into the digital content young audiences were already engaging with.
No three-and-a-half-hour speech, but a three-and-a-half minute video. In 2017, Chinese state media explained China’s new strategies through catchy rap music and trendy graphics. Read more.
2017 was a pivotal year for Chinese propaganda with three major events: the One Belt One Road (OBOR) Summit, the 19th Party Congress, and the APEC Summit. For each occasion, publicity authorities launched distinctive, high-profile campaigns.
The OBOR Summit featured several high-production videos with catchy tunes, often starring foreigners (though some found them awkward). The 19th Party Congress saw a flood of new propaganda videos and initiatives, including a clapping game produced by Tencent that allowed users to applaud Xi Jinping’s speech. Meanwhile, the APEC Summit videos saw a manga-style version of Xi Jinping, portraying him as lovable and approachable.
Hashtagification of Propaganda
Propaganda departments in China have adapted various strategies over the past few years to make official Party narratives more appealing by adjusting to the fast-paced, fleeting, and trendy nature of China’s social media environment. I’d call this the ‘hashtagification’ of Chinese propaganda—turning political messaging into viral trends by embedding it in hashtags and social media content. These are essentially hashtag-driven narratives that netizens can easily engage with and share.
Within this movement, I see six major strategies of digital propaganda emerging on Weibo and other social apps, such as Douyin, from 2017 to 2024.
📌 1. Old Message, New Media: Revival of Classic Propaganda
The types of posts that People’s Daily shares around National Day and other celebrations often echo classic nationalist messages about unity and national pride. This is part of a broader strategy within China’s social media propaganda, focusing on strong, simple messages that, at their core, are not much different from the political narratives promoted in previous decades. However, these messages are now disseminated through modern channels, using more sophisticated techniques and production methods. These can include online posters, as well as music or high-quality videos (example).
📌 2. Double Agenda: Foreign-Facing Propaganda with Domestic Goal
Although there’s traditionally been a clear distinction between domestic propaganda and waixuan (“external propaganda”), the past few years have seen the rise of a new kind of propaganda. It appears to target an international audience but is actually aimed at bolstering domestic support and reinforcing a positive image of China. Assertive or aggressive videos and posts, supposedly directed at foreign viewers, are often used to stir national pride at home. A good example of this is the Xinhua video series featuring Young Lady Guoshe (国社小姐姐), whose real name is Wang Dier (王迪迩), an anchor for Xinhua who previously worked for CCTV. If you’re unsure what this looks like, check the full clip here.
📌 3. Grassroots ‘Propaganda’ in Official Communication
Over the past few years, particularly during the Covid period, official channels began repurposing satirical online artworks created by independent artists or popular nationalistic influencers as a form of national propaganda. Much of this art was produced by Chinese cartoonists and artists, mocking Western hypocrisy and political leaders. These pieces were then retweeted and widely shared by official Chinese channels, amplifying domestic support and fueling anti-Western sentiment. You can read more about this trend here.
‘Investigate Thoroughly! Except Here’ (‘彻查！除了这儿’) satirical illustration by artist 半桶老阿汤 / Half Can of Old Soup in response to US calls for investigation into the origins of Covid in China while ignoring a possible link with Fort Detrick. This post was shared by the Communist Youth League on social media.
📌 4. Tech-Driven Party Messages
The use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and gamification by Chinese state media serves a dual purpose: reinforcing the Party’s messaging while simultaneously showcasing China’s digital innovation. By integrating technology with propaganda, the Party’s message becomes more engaging and interactive, while also projecting China as a leading tech power. For instance, in recent years, the annual CCTV New Year’s Gala has become a platform to display China’s cutting-edge digital technologies on stage. Online, tech and propaganda are frequently intertwined, such as in the aforementioned clapping game by Tencent. Other examples include virtual newsreaders for state media and the ‘Study Xi app’ (Xuexi Qiangguo), which allows users to earn points for engaging with official Party content. You can read more about these innovations here and here.
📌 5. Pop Culture Propaganda
By ‘Pop Culture Propaganda,’ I refer to the blending of propaganda with pop culture in various ways. One example is the use of Chinese celebrities to promote official Party messages, such as the 2017 campaign for China’s New Era (hashtag: ‘Give A Shout-Out to the New Era‘) or the Social Credit song launched by the Communist Youth League. Another form of this propaganda involves colorful and cute animations and cartoons that primarily appeal to younger generations. These often incorporate Japanese influences, like anime and manga, which are especially popular among Chinese youth, making propaganda more accessible and attractive. Currently, many manga-themed propaganda-style images are circulating, blurring the lines between fan-made content and official productions (as mentioned in point 3!).
Official or not? Official channels sometimes share non-official digital art on their pages, while everyday netizens often post official “pop propaganda” on their own accounts (Images via Weibo).
📌 6. Guerrilla Propaganda: Coordinated, Multi-Front Engagement Across Media & Influencers
A final technique I’ve observed on Chinese social media since 2016-2017 is topic-centered propaganda that is spread simultaneously across multiple platforms. In these campaigns, social media, local authorities, businesses, and influencers collaborate to create a coordinated wave of messaging. A notable example is the 2021 Xinjiang cotton campaign, which followed H&M and the Better Cotton Initiative’s boycott of Xinjiang cotton over alleged human rights abuses. In response, a massive pro-Xinjiang cotton campaign erupted on Weibo, with state media, Baidu, e-commerce platforms, and celebrities uniting to cancel H&M and support Xinjiang-sourced cotton. The campaign was highly effective, with the hashtag “Wo Zhichi Xinjiang Mianhua” (“I Support Xinjiang Cotton” #我支持新疆棉花#) receiving over 8 billion views on Weibo—comparable to the “I Love China” hashtag.
Propaganda posters by People’s Daily at the time of the Xinjiang cotton controversy. The posters say “Xinjiang Mianhua” (Xinjiang cotton) in a similar font to the H&M logo, the “H” and “M” within ‘mianhua‘ being identical to the H&M letters.
What’s particularly interesting about propaganda in China’s social media era is that, unlike previous periods, it’s no longer a one-way street from billboard to pedestrian or from TV screen to viewer. Social media is inherently interactive, and despite the overwhelming presence of official accounts on platforms like Weibo, WeChat, and Douyin, there are still over a billion individual social media users in China who can choose to scroll away, mute, or ignore these messages.
While the line between state media and other accounts is increasingly blurred, state propaganda continues to compete for attention in a dynamic and vibrant online culture.
Stefan Landsberger – In Memoriam
There is so much more to say about all of this, and it only highlights how multi-faceted and complex the topic of propaganda in China truly is.
No one understood this better than sinologist Prof. Dr. Stefan Landsberger. I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear of his sudden passing this week. Coincidentally, I received the news while working on this newsletter, with his beautiful Chinese Propaganda Posters book open on my lap.
If you’re not familiar with his name, you might have come across his work if you’ve ever read anything about Chinese propaganda. Landsberger was a leading authority on the subject, having spent decades—since the late 1970s—collecting an extensive array of posters and conducting thorough research in the field. His collection grew to become one of the largest private collections of Chinese propaganda posters in the world.
Landsberger was an Associate Professor of Contemporary Chinese History and Society at Leiden University. In that role, he also taught me Chinese Modern History when I was an undergraduate there. He was a dedicated teacher—often critical, which made him intimidating to some students—but deeply appreciated by most for his brutal honesty and his immense passion for Chinese history and modern Sinology.
One memory from 2018 stands out. I was in China as a post-graduate student and took a taxi on a cold and rainy January night in Beijing. During the ride, I struck up a conversation with the driver, who asked me where I was from. When I told him I was Dutch, he proudly shared that he had a Dutch friend—one of his dearest, he said, whom he’d known since the early 1980s. That intrigued me, as I’d never heard anything like that from a Beijing taxi driver before. As we continued talking, he mentioned that his friend was a teacher and then showed me a photo on his phone of them together. I was surprised to see that the man in the picture, smiling warmly beside the taxi driver, was none other than my own teacher Stefan Landsberger.
In a city of 21 million people, I had somehow hailed a cab driven by one of Landsberger’s oldest friends in the city, whom he had known since he was a student in Beijing. I shared this story with Dr. Landsberger later through WeChat—it made him laugh. This chance encounter left a lasting impression on me, not just because of the coincidence, but because it spoke volumes about Landsberger’s enduring love for China and his ability to cultivate deep, lasting friendships. It showed his loyalty, not just to his work and research but to the people and connections he built over decades.
Landsberger will be greatly missed. His contributions to the growing body of work on Chinese propaganda are invaluable. This ever-evolving phenomenon can only be fully understood by examining both its current trends and its historical roots—and Landsberger’s work will forever be foundational in that effort, helping to better understand “Today’s China, Tomorrow’s China.”
My thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.
Best,
Manya Koetse
(@manyapan)
1 Ren Ping, “今天的中国，明天的中国” [Today’s China, Tomorrow’s China], People’s Daily, September 29, 2024, https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309405083853533610297
2 David Shambaugh, “China’s Propaganda System: Institutions, Processes and Efficacy,” The China Journal 57 (2007):27-28.
3 See Willy Lam quoted in Yi-Ling Liu, “Chinese Propaganda Faces Stiff Competition from Celebrities,” AP News, October 23, 2017, https://apnews.com/article/1616c60ab01d43caae024d34cb98d532 (accessed October 12, 2024).
4 Stefan Landsberger, Chinese Propaganda Posters: From Revolution to Modernization (Amsterdam: The Pepin Press, 2001): 11.
5 Landsberger, Chinese Propaganda Posters, 15.
PS: If you’re a loyal reader of Weibo Watch, you might have noticed I’ve been trying out some changes in the newsletters lately to deliver more frequent updates while balancing things on the site. Don’t worry if this edition is missing the hot topics section—it’s not going anywhere! But if there’s anything you’d love to see in the newsletters moving forward, please let me know. Your feedback really helps with planning future editions.
What’s New
Golden Week | China celebrated its National Day Holiday earlier this month. This week-long holiday, also known as the Golden Week, is a popular time for trips, travel, and sightseeing. On Chinese social media, it has become somewhat of a tradition to post about just how busy it is in China’s various sightseeing spots. This is often done by using hashtags including “人人人人[place]人人人人.”
Being Watched | Could it be that someone is watching you while you think you’re all alone in your private hotel room? Without realizing it, some guesthouses or hotels may have hidden cameras secretly recording their guests. This issue has long been a source of concern in China and has recently become a hot topic again. The Chinese Douyin and Weibo blogger @ShadowsDontLie (@影子不会说谎), an ‘anti-fraud’ influencer, has made it his mission to expose hidden cameras in guesthouses. The controversy following his recent discoveries are perhaps just a tip of the iceberg – we’ll follow up on this story soon. Meanwhile, check out the full story here.
For the Clicks |The debate over influencers performing dangerous stunts for clout is ongoing in the West, but it has also recently gained attention in China after another motorcycle influencer was killed in a crash.
China’s Image | On October 10, 2024, De Balie hosted an event discussing how China portrays itself to its citizens and the world, marking the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic. The panel explored the evolution of Chinese state propaganda, the public’s response, and how the emergence of digital China has reshaped the landscape. Speakers included Ardi Bouwers, Florian Schneider, Qian Huang, and myself (Qian and I appear in the second half). You can watch the full event here.
What’s Memorable
Old one-child policy propaganda slogans, especially in rural areas, remain visible on walls across China, even though they contradict the government’s current push for families to have more children due to declining birth rates. While efforts to remove these outdated slogans have intensified, some people question the urgency.
Weibo Word of the Week
Rushing to the Counties
Our Weibo word of the week is 奔县 (bèn xiàn), which translates to “rushing to the county.” This term has recently surged in Chinese media after this month’s National Day holiday, a popular travel time, saw an increased popularity of lesser-known county-level towns instead of large cities or famous tourist destinations.
According to the latest travel industry reports following the week-long holiday, bookings have significantly increased compared to last year, despite last year already being notably crowded. This year, 765 million trips were taken nationwide, marking a 10.2% increase compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
Last year, ‘domestic travel’ was the key trend, with the so-called “special forces travel” (特种兵旅游 tè zhǒng bīng lǚxíng) becoming popular among Chinese youth. That trend was all about visiting as many places as possible at the lowest cost within a limited time, often involving incredibly tight schedules and 12-hour travel days.
This year, the focus has shifted to a more relaxed and cost-effective approach. This has turned county-level tourism (奔县游 bènxiànyóu) into a new trend. People are not just visiting county-level towns to see family; more young travelers from China’s major cities are exploring nearby smaller towns for “micro-holidays” (微度假 wēi dùjià).
County-level towns in China are smaller than bigger cities like Beijing or Shanghai, but still big enough to usually have plenty to do as they are important hubs for the surrounding rural areas. In these county-level destinations, the cost of hotels and meals tends to be much cheaper than in popular tourist hotspots. Staying closer to home also reduces travel time and expenses, while offering the opportunity to visit lesser-known locations and avoid the peak tourist crowds.
According to The Observer, places like Jiuzhaigou, Anji, Shangri-La, Pingtan, Dujiangyan, and Jinghong saw booking increases of 109%, 86%, 74%, 67%, 51%, and 50%, respectively.
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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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Chapter Dive
My Mum Has Two Husbands: The OPPO Mother’s Day Fiasco and 7 Other Gender Marketing Fails in China
Inside OPPO’s Mother’s Day PR fiasco and other failed marketing campaigns in China’s gender minefield
Mother’s Day is over, but OPPO is still recovering. The Chinese smartphone brand went viral over the weekend for a Mother’s Day marketing campaign that failed spectacularly. In the campaign, OPPO used the slogan: “My mom has two ‘husbands.’”
The accompanying text read:
“My mom has two ‘husbands.’ One is my dad, and the other one she sees twice a year. She barely dresses up for dates with my dad, but when she sees the other one, she’d wear a wedding dress if she could.” (“我妈有两个‘老公’，一个是我爸，另一个一年见两回。跟我爸约会基本不打扮，见另一个，她恨不得穿婚纱。”)
The OPPO ad was published online on May 8, 2026.
With this ad, OPPO was likely trying to tap into digital culture and resonate with younger consumers by using online slang.
In Chinese fandom subcultures, female fans sometimes refer to their idols as their “husband” (老公, lǎogōng) to express their devotion. It is part of a broader online joke, with some fans even incorporating life-size cardboard cutouts of their favorite celebrities into their weddings.
The phrase “real husband” (真老公) gained wider mainstream attention in late 2025 after a young Chinese bride unexpectedly ran into rapper and singer Jackson Wang on her wedding day and posted:
💬 “Who understands this? I met my real husband on my wedding day!” (“谁懂啊！婚礼当天遇到了真老公!!”)
The ‘real husband’ post that went viral in late 2025 and early 2026.
Although some commenters found it funny, the bride was heavily criticized for publicly calling a celebrity her “real husband” on her wedding day, using the same word (老公) that refers to her literal spouse, as if she were placing her idol above her actual groom.
💬 “This makes it seem as though she does not truly regard the man she is legally marrying as her husband at all,” one among many commenters wrote.
While OPPO was probably aiming for a tongue-in-cheek campaign featuring an energetic and youthful mother who adores her idol, the company appears to have badly misread the room.
After the ad was posted on Weibo and other social media channels ahead of Mother’s Day, backlash quickly followed.
Many netizens were confused and did not understand the reference to fan culture. Some said they were simply “baffled” by what they saw as an inappropriate message suggesting that mom was cheating—and on Mother’s Day, no less!
💬 “Without reading the comments, I thought the ad was saying the mother was cheating and didn’t love her husband, but had a side lover she was crazy about,” one Xiaohongshu commenter wrote.
Others asked whether the creators would have been willing to run a similar Father’s Day campaign with the line: “My dad has two wives.”
Fan culture remains far removed from the everyday experience of many ordinary Chinese netizens, creating not just a gender divide but also a generational and social one.
Even when people understand that an “idol husband” is purely fictional, the term 老公 (lǎogōng) still carries the literal meaning of “husband” and implies emotional devotion to someone outside the marriage. For some, that feels disrespectful.
Many also questioned the contrast at the heart of the campaign: why does mum barely dress up for dates with her husband, yet would supposedly wear a wedding dress to see a celebrity?
Others believe celebrity fandom in China has already gone too far, and felt that using this language in a mainstream advertising campaign was especially misplaced.
As one marketing commentator on Xiaohongshu Cathy聊品牌热点) put it, OPPO had managed to offend almost every relevant audience: male consumers who saw the ad as disrespectful to husbands, fandom communities who did not want their inside jokes dragged into mainstream advertising, women who support gender equality, and many others who hold strong views about traditional family values.
Emotional Infidelity as a Form of Female Self-Expression
The brand quickly took the campaign offline and apologized. But in their initial apology post, OPPO explained that it had merely intended to challenge gender stereotypes and present a “more diverse and multi-dimensional image of today’s mothers,” women who can enjoy celebrity fandoms and pursue hobbies beyond their roles as wives and mothers.
OPPO’s first apology: “Our original intention was to break stereotypes and present a more diverse and multi-dimensional image of today’s mothers.”
That explanation sparked another wave of criticism, with many arguing that OPPO had completely missed the point. Few people objected to the idea that mothers can have celebrity idols or personal passions. What many found problematic was the suggestion of romantic involvement outside the marriage.
One Weibo commenter (@甲申鬼友), who called the entire episode a “PR disaster”, suggested that the problem was that OPPO framed emotional infidelity as a form of female self-expression.
They wrote:
💬 “The controversial slogan “My mom has two husbands” was not about challenging stereotypes about mothers. Instead, it glorified the tacky behavior of a married woman calling a celebrity “husband” and wanting to wear a wedding dress to see him, presenting it as a form of female self-expression. Implicitly, it suggested that a real husband should unconditionally accept his wife’s “emotional infidelity.” (…). The message conveyed by the campaign was clear enough: it alienated men and mothers who still value loyalty and commitment in relationships.”
It soon became clear that OPPO’s handling of the issue was turning into a bigger problem than the ad itself.
As netizens continued to criticize the campaign, the controversy was amplified by blogs, mainstream media, and state-affiliated organizations.
The China Advertising Association (CAA), the country’s leading advertising body operating under state supervision, weighed in, along with the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF), China’s main state-linked women’s organization.
Both organizations echoed familiar Party messaging, criticizing marketing that crosses the boundaries of public morality, deviates from core socialist values, violates traditional family ethics, or “misleads the public, especially young people, about social values.”
As the controversy escalated, attention also turned to OPPO’s China region brand strategy director, Yu Siyue (余思月), a graduate of Wuhan University’s School of Chinese Language and Literature.
The university itself then entered the discussion by posting a statement on Weibo saying it was “shocked” by the campaign. It said it “strongly disagrees with the content (..) and the values conveyed,” distancing itself from both the campaign and its alumna. (In a detail I found unintentionally amusing, the statement also noted that Yu had once been praised for helping an elderly passenger on a bus.)
Wuhan University itself was also criticized for inserting itself into a controversy that had little to do with the university. Chinese media outlet Yicai asked: “Who forced Wuhan University into this disastrous move?” Even political commentator Hu Xijin called the statement an overreaction and a sign of “public opinion anxiety syndrome” (舆情焦虑症).
In the end, OPPO apologizedc a second time on Monday, this time stating that both the campaign and its initial response reflected serious shortcomings in the company’s values and judgment. The company said it had lost sight of “upholding the boundaries of China’s core socialist values.”
OPPO said the incident had led to disciplinary measures against those responsible, and the company promised it would ensure that future campaigns better align with “mainstream values.”
Lessons to Be Learned
There are a few things to be learned from OPPO’s PR nightmare:
🔍 1. Marketing fails are often about the response
Once a marketing controversy breaks out, the company’s response often matters more than the original mistake. If the response fails to address the actual criticism, the fallout can become much worse than the initial problem.
🔍 2. In China, PR controversies quickly become political issues
In China, public relations is inherently political. What begins as criticism from netizens can quickly be amplified by state media and official organizations. In the process, a relatively minor marketing controversy can be reframed as a broader debate about morality and family values. Once that happens, the issue is no longer just about a poorly judged advertisement but becomes a tool for boosting official narratives and reinforcing broader Party priorities.
🔍 3. In China’s cancel culture, everyone rushes to distance themselves
Chinese online backlash can be intense and unforgiving. Once a controversy takes off, everyone rushes to distance themselves from it. The fact that OPPO’s brand director became a target, and that even Wuhan University felt compelled to issue a public statement, illustrates this dynamic. At the same time, such overreactions can backfire, especially when an organization emphasizes that it is “not involved” by publicly engaging in the controversy. Sometimes, silence really is golden.
🔍 4. Gender-related marketing in China is a minefield
This episode is another reminder of how difficult it can be for brands to engage with gender-related themes in China. Companies eager to appear youthful and relatable may underestimate just how sensitive these issues are, and how quickly a seemingly playful campaign can turn into a major controversy.
Not Just OPPO: When Gender-Related Marketing Goes Wrong
OPPO is far from alone.
In recent years, language, jokes, and messaging related to gender, feminism, and male-female relationships have become some of the most sensitive issues in Chinese advertising.
In a rapidly changing China, gender roles are evolving, identities are shifting, and ideas about what is considered feminine or masculine are increasingly contested.
Expectations around what female consumers want and what male consumers value are also in flux. Younger and older generations, and especially male and female netizens, often disagree about what is socially acceptable amid women’s growing assertiveness, persistent patriarchal attitudes, and changing global trends.
For advertisers and creative directors, this creates a particularly difficult environment. Brands are trying to tap into consumers’ purchasing power and keep up with shifting social norms, while also staying within the bounds of official values and political priorities. As a result, it is easy to misread the mood and miss the mark.
Campaigns can inadvertently reinforce traditional gender hierarchies, sexualize women, portray men in ways that spark backlash, or rely on outdated stereotypes.
And, as the OPPO case shows, even campaigns that genuinely aim to challenge stereotypes can end up provoking criticism instead.
Below are seven other examples of brand campaigns in China that backfired over the past decade.
💥 #1 Blue Moon: Mother’s Day Marketing Backfires
Marketing campaign (2024): “Let Mom Do the Laundry More Easily”
Main problem: Reinforcing outdated gender stereotypes
China’s household cleaning giant Blue Moon (蓝月亮) also found itself at the center of a marketing controversy after a 2024 Mother’s Day elevator ad campaign promoting its premium laundry detergent with the slogans “Let mom do the laundry more easily” (“让妈妈洗衣更轻松”) and “Mom, you use it first” (“妈妈您先用”).
Many users objected to the message, arguing that it portrayed doing laundry as something that naturally belongs to mothers and reinforced traditional gender stereotypes. As part of a Mother’s Day campaign, critics said the messaging was particularly inappropriate.
As in OPPO’s case, Blue Moon’s crisis management made matters worse. The company’s initial response suggested the controversy was merely a “misunderstanding” and said the campaign was intended to express gratitude to mothers. Many netizens disagreed, arguing that Mother’s Day and mothers doing the laundry had nothing to do with each other.
💥 #2 Fuyanjie: “Too Dark and Stinky”
Marketing campaign (2022): “83% of men are unwilling to go down on their partner because it’s too dark and stinky”
Main problem: Straightforwardly sexist
In 2022, the well-known Chinese feminine hygiene brand Fuyanjie (妇炎洁) promoted a pink-colored intimate wash by claiming that “surveys show that 83% of men from South Korea, Japan, and China are unwilling to go down on their partner because it’s too dark and stinky” (“中日韩三国社会调查显示：83%的男性不愿意给伴侣口爱的原因竟然是太黑太难闻下不去嘴”).
Besides promising to make the genital area pinker, the campaign also suggested that hyperpigmentation could be caused by wearing tight pants and having too much sex.
The brand drew widespread criticism for being vulgar, insulting to women, and completely unscientific. Some netizens suggested that the ad makers should focus on turning their own penises pink instead.
Fuyanjie apologized and took both the campaign and the product offline.
(Remarkably, this was the brand’s second major controversy. In 2016, one of its intimate wash products carried the slogan: “I can’t wash away your past, but I can wash your future clean” (“我不能洗掉你的过去，但我能洗干净你的未来”), a line widely criticized as slut-shaming.)
💥 #3 Coconut Palm: Big Boobs, Short Skirts, and a Marketing Strategy Built on Controversy
Marketing campaign (2022): Busty women in tight tops and shorts dancing on livestream
Main problem: Objectification of women & crossing official lines
During China’s National Day holiday in the 2022 Covid & livestream year, Chinese coconut drink brand Coconut Palm (椰树椰汁) found itself at the center of controversy over a series of promotional streams on Douyin.
The company had already been fined twice by authorities for advertisements and packaging suggesting that drinking Coconut Palm could promote breast enlargement.
The 2022 livestreams featured several attractive, busty women in tight tops and short shorts dancing in front of the camera. The broadcasts drew even more attention when they were repeatedly interrupted and cut off by the platform.
There was little new about the campaign. Coconut Palm’s marketing has revolved around voluptuous women and sexually suggestive slogans for more than 25 years.
One of the company’s most famous slogans was “I’ve been drinking it since I was little” (“我从小喝到大”). While literally meaning “I’ve been drinking it since childhood,” the phrase can also be interpreted as “I grew big [breasts] by drinking it.”
The livestreams reignited debate on Chinese social media about the objectification of women in advertising and online culture. Coconut Palm is the only example on this list where controversy appears to be a core part of the brand’s marketing strategy. And while regulators have repeatedly taken issue with its approach, many consumers seem to appreciate the brand precisely for its refusal to change.
💥 #4 Ubras: “Underwear That Helps Women Win in the Workplace”
 
Marketing campaign (2021): Underwear so comfortable that it can “help women lie down and win in the workplace”
Main problem: Sexist and offensive
Popular talk show host and comedian Li Dan (李诞) sparked controversy on Chinese social media in 2021 over a promotional slogan for the Chinese women’s underwear brand Ubras. Their slogan (“让女性轻松躺赢职场”) can be loosely translated as “make it easy for women to win in the workplace lying down.”
The phrase was widely interpreted as suggesting that women could use their bodies or sexuality to gain an advantage at work. According to the brand, the intended message was simply that Ubras bras are so comfortable that women could “lie down and win.” The full slogan was: “一个让女性躺赢职场的装备” — “equipment that helps women lie down and win in the workplace.”
Many people felt it was inappropriate not only for a male celebrity to promote women’s underwear, but also for the campaign to draw a connection between lingerie and workplace success.
Ubras and Li Dan both apologized for the “inappropriate wording,” and all related promotional content was removed.
💥 #5 Intel: When a Brand Ambassador Becomes the Controversy
 
Marketing campaign (2021): “Intel’s standards are even higher than mine when choosing a partner”
Main problem: Caught in China’s gender wars
Tech company Intel sparked controversy in 2021 by appointing Chinese comedian Yang Li (杨笠) as a brand ambassador in China. Yang Li had become a polarizing figure because of her jokes about men, including her famous line: “Men are adorable, but mysterious. After all, they can look so average and yet be so full of confidence.”
In Intel’s campaign, Yang said: “Intel’s standards are so high — even higher than mine when choosing a partner.” (“英特尔的眼光太高了，比我挑对象的眼光都高。”)
The line itself was relatively harmless. What triggered the backlash was Yang’s public persona.
Some male netizens accused Yang of being sexist and argued that Intel, a company selling laptops and computer chips, should not be represented by a comedian known for mocking men — especially when men were seen as a key target audience.
Intel subsequently deleted the advertisement from its social media channels and ended its collaboration with Yang Li.
That decision, however, sparked a second wave of criticism. Many female netizens accused Intel of caving to online pressure and asked what had happened to the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Others mocked Intel for changing its marketing strategy to appease China’s “ordinary yet confident” men.
💥 #6 Juewei Duck Neck: “Tender, Juicy — Want Some?”
 
Marketing campaign (2017): Sexually suggestive Singles’ Day poster
Main problem: Vulgar and objectifying
Ahead of the 2017 Singles’ Day shopping festival, Chinese snack chain Juewei Duck Neck (绝味鸭脖), one of China’s largest duck neck and marinated meat brands, published a promotional poster on its Tmall store showing a cartoon woman in short shorts lying on a bed with chains around her ankles and her legs spread apart, with one of the company’s products placed in front of her.
The slogan read: “Tender, juicy — want some?” (“鲜嫩多汁，想要吗”). The sexually suggestive image triggered immediate controversy and widespread criticism.
Juewei Duck Neck later issued a nationwide apology, and both the company and the advertising agency responsible for the campaign were fined 600,000 yuan (approximately US$88,000) each.
💥 #7 IKEA: “If You Don’t Bring Back a Boyfriend, Don’t Call Me Mom”
Marketing campaign (2017): Turning parental pressure to marry into a lifestyle ad Main problem: Reinforcing social pressure on unmarried women
A 30-second IKEA commercial sparked controversy in China in 2017 for portraying parental pressure on an unmarried daughter to find a boyfriend.
In the ad, a mother tells her daughter at the dinner table: “If you don’t bring back a boyfriend next time, then don’t call me Mom.” (“再不带男朋友回来，就别叫我妈,”)
The doorbell then rings, and a young man holding flowers appears. The parents immediately brighten, make the living room more welcoming, and set out IKEA tableware for a celebratory meal. The tagline reads: “Celebrate everyday life easily” (“轻松庆祝每一天”).
The ad drew widespread criticism, especially because it aired at a time when many women in China were pushing back against intense social pressure to marry by a certain age. Critics argued that IKEA was trivializing this while reinforcing outdated expectations about marriage and filial duty.
IKEA apologized and removed the commercial.\
Eye on Digital China, by Manya Koetse, is co-published on Substack and What’s on Weibo. Both feature the same new content — so you can read and subscribe wherever you prefer. Substack offers community features, while What’s on Weibo provides full archive access.
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