{"id":868049,"date":"2025-08-26T01:11:58","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T06:11:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/26\/china-embraces-us-youtubers-in-push-to-enhance-soft-power\/"},"modified":"2025-08-26T01:11:58","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T06:11:58","slug":"china-embraces-us-youtubers-in-push-to-enhance-soft-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/26\/china-embraces-us-youtubers-in-push-to-enhance-soft-power\/","title":{"rendered":"China embraces US YouTubers in push to enhance soft power"},"content":{"rendered":"
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US YouTube sensation MrBeast has become the latest internet celebrity to enter China\u2019s competitive social media landscape, fueling growth opportunities for Chinese companies and a government seeking to tap into his vast fan base.<\/p>\n

China\u2019s internet censors block such global platforms as YouTube and X, so foreigners who establish a presence on Chinese platforms gain access to the country\u2019s 1.1 billion internet users.<\/p>\n

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has amassed over 416 million subscribers on YouTube, where he is known for extravagant videos often featuring lavish prizes for participants. On July 26, he made his live stream debut on a Chinese video platform, broadcasting on the Kuaishou<\/a> short video app.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never been live in China before, so I\u2019m excited to say hi,\u201d MrBeast said at the beginning of the live stream, which quickly gained 150,000 viewers. Initially scheduled to last an hour, the live stream ended after just 11 minutes, as MrBeast appeared frustrated that he couldn\u2019t read the Chinese comments. He said he would try again after figuring out how to translate them.<\/p>\n

Apart from Kuaishou, he has also launched accounts on the Bilibili<\/a> video streaming platform and the Weibo microblogging app, quickly gaining millions of followers.<\/p>\n

For local streaming services locked in cutthroat competition for user attention, attracting high-profile celebrities like MrBeast can drive growth in new users and boost advertising and livestreaming revenue. Shares of Hong Kong-listed Kuaishou rose 7% on July 23, the day after MrBeast announced his live streaming plans.<\/p>\n

Foreign influencers can also help boost the recognition of Chinese companies increasingly seeking a foothold in overseas markets. A glimpse of this potential emerged earlier this year when concerns over a possible TikTok<\/a> ban in the US prompted a swath of users to migrate to Xiaohongshu (known internationally as RedNote)<\/a>, a platform previously used mostly in mainland China. Initially, interactions between the \u201cTikTok refugees\u201d and Chinese users were marked by curiosity and openness.<\/p>\n

IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr and who has more than 42 million subscribers on YouTube, took a two-week tour across China in March and April. On the trip, he rode in BYD<\/a> and Xiaomi<\/a> electric vehicles<\/a> and bought Huawei\u2019s<\/a> trifold smartphones, praising the products\u2019 technology capabilities.<\/p>\n

Following his endorsement, the Chinese animated series Super Cube<\/em> became the most-viewed animated work in the US on the iQiyi video streaming platform for several weeks.<\/p>\n

The Chinese government and state media have been quick to embrace these foreign influencers for propaganda purposes and have stepped up efforts to court them for visits.<\/p>\n

\u201cChina has always been, dare I say, a little insecure about its soft power globally,\u201d said Mark Tanner, managing director of market research company China Skinny, referencing the idea\u00a0of winning the hearts and minds through culture and values rather than coercion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith IShowSpeed, they saw that this is a really effective channel to reach consumers, particularly the young and informative consumers that live their lives on these platforms,\u201d Tanner noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cRather than trying to censor and screen a lot of these things, they\u2019re seeing the benefit of working with them,\u201d he said. \u201cThe government is welcoming them with open arms.\u201d<\/p>\n

In February, a series of articles about a group of Indonesian influencers touring the southwestern city of Chongqing appeared on the English-language websites of state-run media outlets. The tour was coordinated and covered by the Western China International Communication Organization, a center affiliated with the propaganda office of Chongqing\u2019s Communist Party leadership, according to the China Media Project.<\/p>\n

Similarly, in June, party newspaper China Youth Daily<\/em> launched a campaign inviting foreign influencers on sponsored trips to major cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. In exchange, participants were required to post two short-form videos and collaborate with Chinese influencers. The tour included stops such as the headquarters of Xiaohongshu.<\/p>\n

The tour was scheduled for July 14\u201323, according to the China Youth Daily<\/em> website. Asked for clarification, the program coordinator declined to comment.<\/p>\n

It is often difficult to determine whether these foreign influencers receive financial backing for their content, as such arrangements are not always disclosed, according to an employee at a Chinese talent agency that connects sponsors with influencers. He noted that while influencers generally produce their own videos, companies may sometimes pay for content that meets specific requirements or request to review the footage.<\/p>\n

Live streaming in China also comes with risks. When a popular influencer, Li Meiyue, joined IShowSpeed\u2019s tour, some of his comments were deemed offensive by viewers and triggered backlash online. Although he later issued an apology, he still saw a decline in followers.<\/p>\n

This article first appeared on Nikkei Asia<\/a>. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr\u2019s ongoing partnership with Nikkei<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

US YouTube sensation MrBeast has become the latest internet celebrity to enter China\u2019s competitive social media landscape, fueling growth opportunities for Chinese companies and a government seeking to tap into his vast fan base. China\u2019s internet censors block such global platforms as YouTube and X, so foreigners who establish a presence on Chinese platforms gain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":868050,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1827,28264,104640],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-868049","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-china","8":"category-embraces","9":"category-youtube-videos"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=868049"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868049\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/868050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=868049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=868049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=868049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}