Youth as a link: Bridging gaps, breaking media bias between China and U.S. | Reporter’s daily

What’s the first news event or viral video that springs to mind when you think back to China in 2024? And how about the United States?

The moment that stands out for me came in November, when a recipient of Chinese national gift porcelain, Evan Kail from the United States, came to China to experience the country firsthand. I've been following Evan’s story for two years – he’s used his “accidental fame” to make a big contribution to exchanges between young Chinese and American people.

For those who don’t know him, Evan Kail – also known as Pawn Man – is an American social media influencer who runs a coins and collectibles shop in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Two years ago, a customer sent him a WWII-era photo album documenting Japan's invasion of China. He posted a TikTok video about it that garnered worldwide attention, sparked numerous online discussions and changed Evan’s life.

“At first, I was hailed as a hero after claiming to have uncovered unseen evidence of the Nanjing Massacre, an event in 1937 that historians have rightly dubbed a ‘forgotten holocaust.’ But within 48 hours, the tide turned, and I found myself branded as a hoaxer. Speculation about my ‘sinister’ intentions ran rampant. People said I was using a war crime to fuel my own fame.”

Two months later, Evan donated the album to the consulate general of China in Chicago, and was gifted state porcelain as a token of appreciation. Only three individual foreigners have received China’s national gift: Henry Norman Bethune, John Rabe and Evan Kail.

In November 2024, he decided it was time to experience the development of China, Chinese culture and the lives of Chinese people. As a young American, he was eager to see if what he'd heard about China was true. His visit also provided an opportunity for in-depth exchanges with Chinese youngsters. 

Upon landing in Beijing, he received a hero's welcome – an army of journalists waited at the airport and tens of millions tuned in to his arrival press conference. “Crowds recognize me on the street, and I can barely go anywhere without being stopped for photos and praise,” he said.

Before Evan came to China, most of his knowledge about the country came from the Western media. After staying in China for half a month, he told me that "the biggest thing that I expected, that I found wasn't true, was what the media sold me, the Western media, in terms of a lens."

He visited cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Harbin, to name just a few. During his travels, he also spoke with many Chinese youngsters, sharing his experiences and learning about their lives. He found that the information about China presented in the West was completely off the mark.

“‘Social Credit System’? A fabrication. It seems that Western media has exaggerated or even made-up certain aspects, as my experience here shows that people are not living in the way Western media has described. They aren't living in fear of being jailed for every word they speak."

“This is a country with its own unique culture and way of life, one that I’ve come to appreciate deeply. Nobody is perfect, but it’s not the dystopian nightmare that the media in the West would have you believe.”

It’s not only what the Western media reports and how it chooses to do so that shapes narratives, it’s also what it chooses not to cover. The day after Evan met with Chinese embassy representatives and donated the photo album, he was certain another media firestorm awaited him.

“I walked into my store the next morning, expecting the same chaos I had unleashed months earlier. Instead, there was nothing – silence. The story of the donation and the diplomatic porcelain gift was a top news story in China, but not a single Western outlet reached out to me.

“In the two years since, I’ve made it my mission to bridge the gap between the U.S. and China. I’ve capitalized on my accidental fame to promote peace, but the more I’ve learned, the clearer it becomes: the media in the West is partly to blame for the disconnect between our two nations.”

Media plays a significant role in shaping China-U.S. relations, influencing public opinion. Evan said, “I’ve spent a lot of time consuming media from both sides of the world, and there’s one thing that stands out – negativity. The Western media, in particular, has built its business on fear-mongering and sensationalism. Look at any positive story about China, and watch how it inevitably gets spun into something dark and sinister. When was the last time a genuinely positive, nuanced story about China made major headlines in the West? Not often enough." 

For young people on both sides, this kind of misinformation can create misunderstandings and barriers to communication. No request for comment has been received from his local news outlets on Evan's efforts for peace and improved communication, or the negativity he has identified toward China.  

“If the U.S. and China worked together – truly cooperated – the world would be a much better place. But for that to happen, the media narrative needs to change. I’m doing everything I can to promote peace, but it’s hard when one side of the bridge refuses to acknowledge the truth. Western media needs to stop spoon-feeding Americans negativity about China. They’ve been selling us fast food when we deserve a gourmet meal,” Evan said.

Promoting cross-cultural communication among young people in China and the United States is of utmost importance in today's globalized world. It can break down barriers and build mutual understanding, respect and cooperation. Evan Kail's story is a prime example of how media can either facilitate or impede such communication, and the contrast between how the East and the West view things couldn't be more evident.

After my first online interview with Evan in 2022, we finally met in person in Shanghai in November 2024. When he asked my thoughts about his journey over the past two years, I found it difficult to express my respect for this brave, righteous and thoughtful young man through simple words. But I hope to let more people hear his voice and follow his story. If not persuasion, why not at least presentation?

For more: WWII album witness: The story of U.S. pawnshop owner Evan Kail