Backward ban leads to unexpected results

TikTok is set to be removed from app stores on January 19. The Biden administration says the enforcement of the ban will fall to Donald Trump, who becomes the new U.S. president on January 20. And Trump is considering an executive order after taking office that would suspend the sale-or-ban law for 60 to 90 days. Recently, a large number of American TikTokers started using the Chinese app Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, showing that people's desire for communication and interaction is an unstoppable trend.

On April 24, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill requiring TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese company by January 19, 2025, or the app would be banned in the U.S. The provision, another U.S. crackdown on Chinese technology companies driven by economic protectionism, is a violation of fair competition.

On January 17, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the lawthat is forcing TikTok to sell or face a ban on national security grounds.It is nothing but the same old bid to politicize TikTok's operation in a new form. As the January 19 deadline looms, many TikTokers are moving to alternative platforms. They call themselves "TikTok refugees" to express their anger and protest against the U.S. government.

From sharing pictures of cute pets to “audits” of life, the American “TikTok refugees” pouring on Xiaohongshu are engaging in lively interactions with Chinese users, fortuitously opening a new window for friendly people-to-people exchanges. Americans are surprised to find the real China so very different from what the U.S. media portrays. The exchanges between the two communities are enhancing mutual understanding and demonstrate the potential to deepen bilateral ties.

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