On the Chinese platform Xiaohongshu, which combines features of Instagram and Pinterest, hashtags such as #TikTokRefugee have garnered hundreds of thousands of posts from accounts mostly registered in the United States.
The surge in activity has boosted Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote outside China, to the top of the US Apple Store app download rankings within just a few days.
TikTok, which is owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance but operates independently, has approximately 170 million users in the United States, nearly half the country's population.
Washington has sought to ban TikTok for many years, citing unfounded national security concerns and alleged risks to data privacy.
The platform faces a possible ban on January 19, 2025, with the US Supreme Court set to rule on enforcing a law that could either banish TikTok or force ByteDance to sell it to an American firm.
While anxiously waiting for the outcome, some content creators have not wasted time in poking fun at the proposed ban.
"They tried to ban TikTok (for national security concerns), so everybody now goes to an actual Chinese app," said a self-proclaimed "TikTok refugee" on Xiaohongshu via a short video post.
"TikTok refugees are migrating to legitimate Chinese apps to willingly give their data directly," said another sarcastic post on X.
The proposed ban is not an isolated case. In recent years, an increasing number of Chinese tech companies, including Huawei and DJI, have been unfairly targeted by Washington, which has rolled out a slew of measures to restrict their presence.
"US TikTok users are voting with their feet," said Lyu Xiang, a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization.
"This demonstrates that suppressing normal business activities of non-US companies is unpopular, as such actions by US politicians are harming the immediate interests of the American public," he added.
Lyu suggested that Washington instead adopt an open mindset, ensure fair competition, and encourage US companies to innovate in creating products that meet the evolving social networking demands of American users.
Warm welcome
"TikTok refugees" have been warmly received by Xiaohongshu users, who shared photos and videos with them, offered food and travel tips, and even provided free language lessons given that the app's content is predominantly Chinese.
Founded in 2013, Xiaohongshu initially focused on providing shopping tips but has evolved into a comprehensive lifestyle platform, blending social media and e-commerce. Users can share content and purchase products directly through the app, creating a seamless shopping experience.
"Welcome you to join us in this vibrant and colorful community," commented one Xiaohongshu user who works as an English interpreter in Beijing.
"Let's start the new journey with Chinese food," posted another user from Sichuan while introducing the southwestern province's signature food recipes.
As conversations deepened, some Chinese students began seeking help with their English homework -- and help they did receive.
A "TikTok refugee" named "Rosie_in_Wonderland" observed that Xiaohongshu is very similar to TikTok in terms of producing content and ease of use. She expressed hopes of finding her community soon, just like she did on TikTok.
"You are not refugees. You all are explorers. Welcome to the new world," wrote another Xiaohongshu user from China.
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Translator: Xinhua
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
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