Amid movements to ban TikTok in the United States, American netizens are flocking to Rednote, the Chinese version of Instagram, causing a stir. In just two days, about 700,000 new users have joined, making Rednote the top downloaded app in the U.S. App Store.
On the 15th (local time), according to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) and others, Chinese netizens are welcoming foreigners with humor such as the 'cat tax' (attaching a cat photo to the first post after joining) and are overcoming language barriers with translation tools and jokes. Local tourism boards are also participating by posting promotional videos.
Rednote is seen as highly accessible to foreign users since registration is possible without a Chinese phone number. Officials are reportedly busy hiring staff to review English content to handle the increased traffic.
Regarding this phenomenon, Chinese netizens are showing positive responses, saying it is 'the first large-scale communication between China and the U.S.,' while some express pride in IT technology, stating, 'The next app after TikTok will also be Chinese.'
Meanwhile, foreign media reports that President-elect Donald Trump is considering a delay in the enforcement of the TikTok ban law.