A survey found that perceptions of China, the United States' biggest rival, have improved significantly. Observers said this stems from a decline in trust in President Donald Trump and the spread among younger generations of the "China maxxing" trend.
According to the Pew Research Center on the 15th (local time), a survey of 12,000 U.S. adults conducted in March found that 27% of respondents held a favorable view of China. That was up 6 percentage points from the previous year's 21% and nearly double the level in 2023 during the COVID-19 period, when it was 14%.
Laura Silver, associate director at the Pew Research Center, said, "There is a trend of declining hostility toward China, particularly among Democratic supporters and younger adults." In this survey, 34% of voters under 50 expressed a favorable view of China, compared with 19% among those 50 and older.
CNN analyzed that the "China maxxing" trend, which has spread among young people on social media (SNS), influenced the rise in favorable views toward China. "China maxxing" combines China with the internet slang "maxxing," meaning to immerse in or maximize something, and refers to Americans and others expressing their identities—such as fashion tastes and lifestyles—in a Chinese style.
The trend gained momentum when left-leaning popular streamer Hasan Piker live-streamed a trip to China. He showcased videos of China's subway system, skyscrapers, and on-the-street interviews with residents, and the content gained major traction on SNS, fueling the "China maxxing" craze.
On TikTok, China's SNS, it is easy to find videos tagged with "China maxxing" in which Gen Z women in the United States wear the traditional Chinese dress qipao and dance or drink traditional Chinese tea. The popularity of Pop Mart's flagship character "Labubu" dolls is also cited as a factor in spreading the trend.
China maxxing sometimes goes beyond enthusiasm for Chinese culture and extends to criticism of the United States. The New York Post earlier reported, "Some influencers who praise Chinese culture are actively disparaging the United States," adding, "They are shifting their aesthetic sensibilities, moral values, and even political leanings toward another superpower."
Some analysts also say backlash against the Donald Trump administration is behind the "China maxxing" boom. In fact, when the Trump administration moved last year to ban TikTok on national security grounds, some users migrated to Xiaohongshu, China's version of Instagram.
In the Pew Research survey, while favorability toward China rose, trust in President Trump's China policy stood at 39%, down 6 percentage points from 45% in an August survey last year. CNN said, "The results suggest that negative views of Xi Jinping have eased somewhat, while skepticism about Trump's leadership has grown."