Even as the fate of social media platform TikTok hangs in the balance in the U.S. — with a ban being postponed for a few weeks by President Donald Trump — Xiaohongshu, a Chinese platform resembling TikTok, has welcomed “refugees” from the beleaguered service, and many users have stayed on even. Now, a trickle of Indian users are also joining the platform, five years after TikTok’s ban drove most creators and users to rival American platforms like Instagram and YouTube.
The new user base has opened a rare channel of exchange between Indian and Chinese users, and offers a glimpse into Chinese prejudices and perceptions of India. “A friend in China said it was interesting,” Neenu Vinod, a Mumbai-based user who joined after the deluge of American “refugees” joined the platform, said. “I’m getting a mix of American Tiktokers and Chinese people who use the app. They’re helping us with certain things” like the lingo to use and tips for providing translations, she said.