Influencer Diplomacy? China Opens Doors To American Social Media Creators In Soft-Power Push Amid Trade Standoff

China is reportedly inviting American influencers to visit the country in July on a 10-day, fully paid trip amid Beijing’s efforts to boost cultural exchanges.

According to a Bloomberg report citing Chinese media outlets, the initiative is called the “China-Global Youth Influencer Exchange Program.”

It seeks to enlist young social media influencers with at least 300,000 followers to collaborate with Chinese content creators and show the “Real China.”

U.S.-China relations remain tense due to several disputes arising from tariffs, technology, and geopolitical differences. However, Beijing has prioritized cultural exchanges to exhibit China’s technological prowess.

The report said that a post in College Daily, a publication particularly targeting Chinese students in North America, said that U.S. applicants for the exchange program should be active on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and X, “love Chinese culture,” and “have no history of bad behaviors.”

The report also urged Chinese students overseas to encourage influencers in their circle to apply, stating that successful candidates will receive China’s official invitation and special assistance from the state to process their visas.

Beijing will reportedly take participants across five cities: Suzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Handan, and Beijing.

The tour will reportedly cover China’s e-commerce hubs and feature the headquarters of big companies such as social network and e-commerce platform Xiaohongshu Technology Co. and automaker BYD Co.

Earlier this year, the visit of the American internet star Darren Watkins Jr, who goes by the name IShowSpeed, generated widespread curiosity among audiences about Chinese technology and culture.

On the diplomatic front, top officials of the two countries are continuing a fresh round of talks in London over trade disputes.

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is up 2.6% for the year, and the iShares MSCI China ETF (MCHI) has gained 18.5%.

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