Recently, for many Chinese diaspora in the Western cultural sphere, their heritage and identity have become a focal point of popularity in pop culture. Every day, Western bloggers on social media like @maggiegoodeili with 67k followers, would proclaim the start of a “very Chinese time in [their] life”, netizens would sing praises of the cyberpunk aesthetic of Chongqing, and practice traditional wellness advice. The recent “rehabilitation” of Chineseness in the Western world is also further spurred by China’s increased presence in both the consumer world, with products like the Labubu toy, and its growing soft power. This is a noticeable far cry from the “Yellow Peril” of COVID times, which saw an increase in the negative perception of the Chinese diaspora and the Chinese culture, as well as a shift in the general reputation of China from an economic powerhouse to a cultural one. However, Chinese people themselves have a much more diverse range of opinions on the entire trend. Overseas or residing in the Mainland, disconnected from social media or very much aware, their perspectives range from support to indifference to even dislike.
The Chinese Century In Question?
Just over a decade ago, China was principally known as the Factory of the World. This was due to the Reform and Opening Up Period in the 1970s and 1980s, where the “Middle Kingdom” opened up to the rest of the world. For many who grew up under Maoist rule, it was the first time their wages rose, the first time they had mostly steady access to international media, and the first time China as a whole was experiencing rapid economic growth; over the next decades or so, 800 million people were lifted out of extreme poverty, and an average annual economic growth rate of 10%.
What China noticeably lagged in was soft power. When it comes to East Asian culture, Japanese and Korean media predominantly dominate in the West, with the likes of Nintendo video game consoles and K-pop. Conversely, modern Chinese media, often restricted by government censors, didn’t appeal to many outside of the country itself, and negative stereotypes of China as a backward and repressive nation persisted, as evident in the mockery of a highly exaggerated ‘social credit’ system. This is heightened during the COVID pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, leading to an increase in Sinophobia and East Asians as a whole. In a survey conducted in 2022, around 39% of Chinese Americans knew another Asian person who had been threatened or attacked since COVID-19. This also occurred briefly at St. Mary’s during the 2019-2020 school year, where some Chinese people were targeted for COVID. The Communist Party of China (CPC)’s draconian “Zero-COVID” policy did not help either, further adding to China’s image as an authoritarian nation. “During COVID, especially during the 2022 Shanghai lockdown,” wrote Max, a freshman from Shanghai, in an online correspondence, “The perception shifted dramatically. Media emphasized strict control and central power, and I felt that many people began to associate ordinary Chinese individuals with government decisions.”
Rehabilitation
To the surprise of the world, however, China has managed to greatly transform popular perception in the West in its favor over the past year. This is evident, with native movies like Nezha 2, achieving the record of the highest-grossing animated film in history as of 2026, video games like Black Myth: Wukong, which sold 20 million units in its first month, and consumer products like Pop Mart’s infamous Labubu figure. China Inc. has now carved out a large slice for itself in popular culture. This is even more blatant on TikTok, where influencers would tag #newlychinese in their videos and claim that it is a “Chinese time in [their] lives”, sporting traditional Chinese clothing, practicing traditional Chinese health habits, and more. This is spurred, in addition to the increasing soft power of China, by Americans’ discontent with their own nation’s many problems.
Many overseas Chinese, known as Huaqiao (華僑), viewed this development positively, in contrast to the Sinophobia during the COVID years. “I think it’s fine,” Lucya, an overseas Chinese teenager, expressed when asked if she thought the trend was offensive, “Like, I don’t see it as cultural appropriation.” Chinese state-affiliated media also seemed to praise the trend, with can be seen with headlines such as “Chinese lifestyles increasingly gain global appeal, offer a steadier way of being.” Nevertheless, for many more in Tokyo, this trend has had a negligible effect on their daily lives. In fact, to many, Chinese politics comes up as the forefront of conversations about their homeland. “In Japan, I’ve noticed people separating culture from politics more than before,” Max wrote in the online interview mentioned before, “but this does not fully erase political concerns, especially when diplomatic tensions rise or when China is portrayed as more inward-looking.”
Conclusion
Today, to many Westerners, their image of China is a completely different country from China just a mere five years ago. It has become the futuristic country of efficiency and hope, in comparison to the former image of an oppressive, open prison of a nation. Yet, these views often change with the circumstances of history, and people will follow the trends, whatever direction they take. What will remain certain, though, is the fact that the Chinese themselves will continue to live their lives, regardless of the molds that online trends, the domestic government, and international geopolitics aim to put them in.
