CKN Knowledge Session - Xiaohongshu’s Revelations about China 2025

In the second #CKN Knowledge Session of 2025, Dr. Huang Qiao – The Netherlands’ foremost researcher on Chinese social media – discussed the recent developments surrounding the popular social media platform Xiaohongshu, afterwards reflected upon by Dr. Carwyn Morris.

Dr. Huang provided fascinating insights on the usage of Xiaohongshu, focusing on how the social media platform is increasingly functioning as a search engine, especially for such topics as travel, fashion, food, and studying abroad. Xiaohongshu, Dr. Huang explained, furthermore provides an insight into societal debates within China, as popular topics on the app include gender, traditional culture, health, and entertainment content (C-drama, anime, etc.). The recent influx of so called ‘TikTok refugees’ has distorted such content, especially for Chinese users overseas, raising discussions on Xiaohongshu’s algorithmic recommendations and interactions between Chinese and international users.

During the subsequent discussion, Dr. Carwyn Morris highlighted that Xiaohongshu is one of the few Chinese social media platforms that is publicly oriented and globally accessible, and therefore has transformed into a digital space for both Chinese users that want to engage with the world, but also overseas Chinese users that want to engage with China. 

The Knowledge Session can be viewed on our #CKN Youtube: CKN Knowledge Session - Xiaohongshu’s Revelations about China 2025