Two families from China and the United States respectively, who became friends on the mainland social media platform RedNote during a potential TikTok ban in January, have met in person in Shanghai.
In January, many US social media users migrated from Tiktok to RedNote, known as Xiaohongshu in China, in reaction to a then looming US ban of the Chinese short video platform.
Such people dubbed themselves “Tiktok refugees”.
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Some shared photos of their pets or kids to pay “taxes” jokingly demanded by RedNote users for them to join.
Brecken Neumann, a 32-year-old real-estate agency owner in Mississippi, was among those who paid “taxes”, with a photo of him holding his baby daughter, who was born last year.
In the first post he uploaded on January 14, he said hello to all, and said he looked forward to “all the new friends we make across the sea”.
Two days later, Chu Rongrong, a marketing consultant in Shanghai, replied with a photo of her, her husband and their baby daughter smiling, with an excited “hi” back to Neumann.
Her comment became the most liked among the 18,000 reactions that post received.
Their photo exchange was then shared on another social media platform, with a comment: “Is this not just how the world is supposed to be?” The post received 8 million views.
Many so-called Tiktok refugees received warm welcomes on RedNote, making new friends, looking for long-lost old friends, and learning how to cook Chinese dishes there.
The friendly interactions were pictured as proof of the existence of an actual so-called global village.
Many thought the exchange would only remain virtual, but to their surprise, the Neumann and Chu families met up for real in Shanghai.
The family bought flight tickets to Shanghai shortly after their post went viral.
On March 22, Neumann, his wife Selina and their daughter Meredith began their trip in Shanghai, and received warm greetings from the Chu family at the airport.
Neumann said it was the first time Selina had left Mississippi, and the first trip in Meredith’s life.
The Chu family made a welcome banner for Neumann’s family, and took them to scenic spots such as The Bund and Shanghai Disneyland.
Neumann brought them gifts from Mississippi and jumpers bearing the slogan “Let’s be friends” in English and Chinese.
Neumann said they had been speaking with each other online every day, and found they had many things in common.
He said he was impressed with the state of technology in China, especially the robots that deliver food to hotel rooms. Neumann was also impressed by how friendly people were.
Neumann said he rejected stereotypes and embraced humanity that transcends prejudice.
Chu said her daughter Tiutiu immediately made friends with Meredith. She was impressed by the toddler showing that “love has no boundaries”.
“This is the loveliest thing of 2025,” one online observer said.
“This is how the world should be like. The best way to eliminate prejudice is to look and learn with your own eyes and ears,” said another.
“We share love in spite of nationality or race,” a third said.
RedNote has not disclosed the number of new overseas users since January.
Its downloads in the US were reported to have more than doubled year-on-year in the first week of its boom.
The app also advertised itself by using photos of Neumann and Chu in New York City’s Times Square.
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