The Migration of TikTok Users to Rednote: A True “Awakening Movement”

【This article is translated by AI, originally published on the Chinese internet by Shen Yi, a Fudan University professor with 5 million fans in China.】
Some say that the fate of a nation is metaphysical. In fact, the real secret lies in the fact that a country on the right side of history can do no wrong; conversely, a nation on the wrong side of history, unaware or unwilling to change, does everything wrong. Recently, there’s been attention on TikTok users, primarily from the U.S., who are migrating to Rednote community as ‘TikTok refugees,’ further demonstrating the subtle insights of a judgment that doesn’t really conform to Western formalized social sciences but offers profound perceptions.
Although they are ‘TikTok refugees’ in cyberspace, just like real-world refugees, they are victims of hegemonic strategies and policies of the U.S. and its Western allies. Unable to compete with Zhang Yiming’s TikTok, American companies, led by Zuckerberg, began using hegemonic tactics for wealth plunder. Around January 10, 2025, Congress held hearings, prompting some TikTok users to seek alternative apps. Contrary to Zuckerberg’s expectations, these top users coveted by capital found their way across the Pacific and into Rednote community, leading to notable reactions visible in the media.
Honestly, at least initially, this is a classic case of complex systems self-emergence: the U.S. actions prompted users to find new apps; Rednote happened to be available for registration; and these two apps happen to share enough similarities to entice users to at least check them out. Thus, supported by a massive user base, everything happens unexpectedly yet logically.
When TikTok refugee-labeled users joined en masse, an even greater surprise occurred: they not only crossed the Pacific online but also inadvertently broke through the ‘sigh wall’ of cyberspace curated by mainstream Western fake news. It was a meeting of fire and gasoline, causing the Rednote community to hype up. This heated interaction, highlighted by certain groups who either admired, envied, or anxious over the situation and leaped to perform, led to what some Chinese netizens call the ‘foreign awakening movement.’
This is a true awakening movement: cyberspace and social media are helping netizens from China, the U.S., and likely more countries meet face-to-face in the virtual realm. Like paying the ‘cat tax’ right away or asking if China has the Boxer dogs or lifestyle comparisons, these actions primarily serve to reduce information gaps, piercing through the transparent sigh wall of the internet constructed by Western mainstream media and other entities. Before this, such events were unimaginable, but it aligns with history’s ironic logic against hegemony: self-depletion by the hegemonic powers themselves.
This round is, of course, not without challenges; but its significance lies in setting a precedent, bypassing intermediaries, and breaking the sigh wall—not Chinese but American netizens saw a new world deconstructed by Western media. These grassroots efforts will validate China’s longstanding hope on civil interactions and people’s power. Inevitably, there will be those who stubbornly guard the wall, fake accounts stirring issues, spreading false emotions and fear, persistently arguing from a ‘professional’ angle about the traffic’s impact. Yet these are merely obstacles before the wheels of history, destined to be rolled over in bizarre ways, providing entertainment and emotional value in cyberspace, while charging up the boomerang to better strike the forces supporting them.
Real, face-to-face, heart-to-heart exchange is an unstoppable trend in human development. A familiar friend laughed heartily watching the bilingual exchange on Rednote, then abruptly switched to serious, stating that this may well represent the embodiment of a diverse and inclusive human community. This sudden shift caught me off guard, but on reflection, I realized there was truth in this. Perhaps, in future retrospection, like Trump’s 2024 comeback or California’s wildfire chaos in early 2025, the so-called ‘Western awakening movement’ incident through Rednote will leave a distinct mark during the post-Cold War international system’s turbulent reform phase.
Editor: Zhongxiaowen