(fyiteam)
Chinamaxxing (also referred to as “becoming Chinese”) is a social media trend that began to emerge gradually around March 2025.
In it, young people in the West show in videos how they “optimize” their lives by adopting “Chinese” habits, such as drinking hot water in the morning, following advice from Chinese medicine, and more.
These videos are often accompanied by expressions of admiration for China.
According to experts speaking to The Guardian, the “foundations” behind the rise of this trend are:
However, they note that the trend is not arbitrary, but rather a response to specific cultural changes.
In the 2000s and early 2010s, following China’s gradual opening up*, travel, migration, and the learning of Chinese increased in the West, according to CNN.
However, this interest was mainly linked to economic incentives and the opportunities offered by its growing market.
*That is, the transition of its economy toward a more open system (e.g., its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001).
(fyiteam)
In 2020, following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China’s reputation was shaken, and there was a surge in racism against members of the Chinese diaspora.
The country’s image was further worsened by its interventions in Hong Kong*, after the mass protests of 2019, which restricted residents’ freedoms.
*Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to China in 1997, but it was agreed that it would maintain its own separate political and economic system until 2047.
The chinamaxxing trend is part of a broader context. Over the past year, both tangible and intangible cultural products from China have been going viral in the West:
*Clothing inspired by the traditional Chinese aesthetic of the Tang dynasty period (618–907 AD)
(fyiteam)
It is no coincidence that the trend is emerging at a time when the image of the United States is deteriorating globally, according to academics.
Although it remains a powerful cultural force, geopolitical tensions and internal crises are changing the way the world perceives it.
Stricter immigration policies are leading foreign students and scientists—and even American citizens—to “look elsewhere.”
It is no coincidence that the trend is emerging at a time when the image of the United States is deteriorating globally, according to academics.
Although it remains a powerful cultural force, geopolitical tensions and internal crises are changing the way the world perceives it.
Stricter immigration policies are leading foreign students and scientists—and even American citizens—to “look elsewhere.”
(fyiteam)
Experts note that chinamaxxing videos manage to convey only “fragments” of Chinese culture, which has existed for millions of years.
They also point out an oversimplification of a much more complex reality.
For example, in many videos, creators talk about the low cost of living in China without mentioning that wages are also significantly lower.
The trend has faced criticism, while members of the Chinese diaspora describe it as ranging from indifferent to even offensive.
Many point out that a culture which, for years, was the subject of mockery is now becoming a trend, often bringing visibility to people who do not “belong” to it.
At the same time, there is concern that certain practices (e.g., Chinese medicine) are being detached from their original meaning and reduced to mere imitation.
