_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
A viral trend called "Chinamaxxing" has swept through Gen Z social media, with young men and women enthusiastically adopting Chinese cultural habits and attitudes while simultaneously mocking the worst of American society.
The phenomenon took off after popular livestreamers broadcast trips to Chinese megacities, showcasing high-speed rail, gleaming skylines, and advanced infrastructure to millions of viewers. Some view it as unwitting participation in Chinese soft power, revealing a deeper disillusionment with American dysfunction.
_THE FACTS_
The term "Chinamaxxing" is a slang term where "maxxing" means going all in on something, applied here to adopting Chinese cultural practices.
Viral TikToks and Instagram reels depict China as disciplined, healthy, and rooted in tradition, while America is cast as violent, disconnected, and drug-addicted.
Videos show futuristic skylines from Chinese cities, clean streets, tasty food, beautiful landscapes, and advanced transportation systems.
Researcher Shaoyu Yuan suggests TikTok's algorithm may operate in this way: "One track weakens American narrative authority by highlighting content that highlights US dysfunction, and ... the other track makes China look more attractive."
Socialist streamer Hasan Piker traveled to China last year, broadcasting visits to cities like Shanghai and Chongqing and praising communism and Mao Zedong.
Far-right influencer Andrew Tate once praised Chinese state media, calling it "truth from mainstream media" covering "Western corruption" and "rigged elections."
Popular posts are often captioned with, "You met me at a very Chinese time in my life,” as young people romanticize the Chinese lifestyle — drinking hot water, wearing adidas, and smoking cigarettes.
Another viral trend is called “Bringing American culture to Beijing,” where young people stand hunched like zombies, pretending to be homeless Americans addicted to fentanyl.
_OUR TAKE_
The “Chinamaxxing” trend, while admittedly some of the viral videos can be funny, reeks of a propaganda campaign. The Global Times, a Chinese state news outlet, has promoted the phenomenon as an example of China dominating the West using soft power.
It’s a bit suspicious that this trend has attached itself specifically to China rather than other Asian countries that can just as easily be romanticized, such as Japan, South Korea, or Thailand.
One possible explanation is that China is considered America’s chief geopolitical enemy, while many young people hold hostile views toward the current US political establishment. In that sense, the appeal may be less about China itself and more about a simple instinct: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
