Despite growing tensions between the United States and China over national security and trade, Chinese internet culture is experiencing an unexpected surge in popularity among American social media users. From viral memes about industrial chemicals to an influx of U.S. users on Chinese platforms, the digital space has become an unlikely bridge between the two nations.

One of the most surprising trends of 2024 was the rise of Donghua Jinlong, a Hebei-based manufacturer of industrial glycine, an amino acid used in food production. Though an obscure company, its advertisements on TikTok unexpectedly went viral, transforming the brand into an internet sensation. American users, dubbing themselves “glycine girlies,” embraced the meme, creating influencer-style content about a product they had no actual use for.

Diana R., the creator behind the popular meme account CitiesbyDiana, explained the phenomenon. “We spent an entire month pretending we were buying industrial chemicals from China and making videos as if it were a luxury brand,” she said. The meme became so widespread that it was covered by major publications, including The Washington Post and The New Yorker. Donghua Jinlong even played along, sending merchandise to online creators.

TikTok Ban Sparks Migration to RedNote

The viral fascination with Chinese memes coincides with a new wave of American users flocking to RedNote (Xiaohongshu), China’s version of Instagram. This sudden migration was triggered by the brief implementation of a TikTok ban over national security concerns, before President Donald Trump granted the platform a 75-day reprieve.

In just a few days, around three million Americans joined RedNote, integrating into a platform with 300 million predominantly Chinese users. The result was an unexpected cultural exchange, as users swapped jokes, shared memes, and even helped each other with homework.

American internet users have long speculated about what lies beyond China’s “Great Firewall”, which restricts access to many Western social media platforms. But RedNote has emerged as one of the few Chinese apps accessible overseas, allowing U.S. users to engage with Chinese netizens in a way that was previously rare.

A Cultural Exchange Beyond Politics

Even as U.S. leaders push for restrictions on Chinese tech companies, internet culture appears to be bridging the geopolitical divide. One of the most popular viral phrases to emerge from RedNote is “you swan, he frog,” a Chinese idiom originally used to describe relationships with mismatched expectations. After being posted by an American influencer, it quickly spread across English-speaking social media, applied to everything from celebrities to politicians.

The rise of Chinese memes in the U.S. reflects a growing curiosity about Chinese internet culture, despite political narratives urging division. Jianqing Chen, an East Asian languages and cultures researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, believes social media plays a crucial role in fostering connections between everyday citizens. “Grand political narratives lose their power at the level of everyday interaction,” he said. “Personal engagement online allows people to see beyond tensions and recognize shared human experiences.”

Even amid discussions of trade wars and national security threats, social media continues to show that humor—and memes—transcend borders.

A new AI app from China, DeepSeek, has sent shockwaves through the tech industry, markets, and the prevailing belief in American dominance in artificial intelligence (AI). The app’s meteoric rise has raised questions about the future of the AI sector, as well as the cost-effectiveness of AI development.

Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen referred to the launch of DeepSeek as AI’s “Sputnik moment,” drawing comparisons to the Soviet Union’s launch of the Sputnik satellite, which triggered the space race. Over the weekend, DeepSeek became the most downloaded free app on Apple’s US App Store, and by Monday, it was already having a profound effect on the markets. The app’s launch sparked a massive sell-off of major tech stocks, including a 17% plunge in the share price of AI chipmaker Nvidia, which lost nearly $600 billion in market value — the largest drop in US stock market history, according to Bloomberg.

What has stunned Silicon Valley is the claim by DeepSeek’s developers that the app was built for just $5.6 million — a fraction of the billions spent by AI giants like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. While OpenAI spent $5 billion in 2023 alone, DeepSeek’s developers suggest that this low cost could signal a breakthrough in AI development, potentially disrupting the established industry.

In a growing sense of disbelief, many in the tech world have been left questioning DeepSeek’s viability and the accuracy of its financial claims. Some analysts have speculated that the app’s success could indicate a shift in how AI is developed and delivered, with lower costs and fewer resources than previously thought necessary. DeepSeek’s models reportedly use open-source software and existing technology, which has led some to speculate that its use of Nvidia’s H800 chips may have been facilitated by stockpiling during the past years.

The development has also spurred concerns about US dominance in the sector, as the country has long assumed its control over high-end chips and data centers gave it an advantage in the AI race. However, China’s sudden emergence as a serious player with DeepSeek has led many to reconsider the global balance of power in AI.

Billionaire Sam Altman of OpenAI, who has largely stayed quiet on the matter, did comment late on Monday, acknowledging DeepSeek’s “impressive” performance. While Altman reaffirmed OpenAI’s position as a leader in AI, he welcomed the competition, calling it invigorating.

DeepSeek’s arrival has left many observers unsure of what the future holds for US semiconductor giants and raised broader questions about the long-term implications of AI development. With this new development, China has flexed its muscles in the AI sector, making clear that the race for dominance is far from over, and the US may no longer have a clear upper hand.