Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Business
Bertin Huynh, Helen Davidson and Amy Hawkins

Censorship, homework help and cats: China’s RedNote users welcome ‘TikTok refugees’

The logos of TikTok and RedNote
TikTok is expected to be shut off in the US on Sunday and many users are switching to the Chinese app Xiaohongshu, dubbed RedNote. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

“It is the coolest thing,” says Huang Ziyan, a longtime user of Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, describing the experience as a “21st-century Tower of Babel”.

Huang is referring to the influx of US “TikTok refugees” fleeing the impending ban and the resulting cross-cultural exchange that has seen Americans warmly welcomed – and sometimes given a few helpful tips.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.