China’s global attractiveness is built on a new, win-win type of globalisation based on inclusiveness, completely different from the hegemonic logic of Americanisation, writes Wang Wen.
In 2026, the international political research community may not have noticed the popularity of “Chinamaxxing” on social media. This internet neologism, a combination of “China” and the gaming term “maxxing,” has become a new trend among young netizens. Coupled with the fact that the hashtags #becomingchinese, #iwannabechinese, and #veryChinese have garnered over 4 billion views on TikTok since 2025, we have reason to believe that a new wave of “China fever” is igniting among Western Generation Z.
Young people overseas are vying to imitate drinking hot water, practicing Baduanjin (a form of traditional Chinese exercise), and living a Chinese lifestyle. This wave of Chinamaxxing, led by Generation Z, is not simply cultural imitation, but a clear signal of profound changes in the world order: the Chinese model, with its core values of inclusiveness, win-win cooperation, and people-centred development, is breaking through the Western hegemonic narrative and reshaping the definition and paradigm of global leadership in the 21st century.
The world is becoming increasingly Sinicised, a choice made by young people through their online presence and actions. Data shows that Generation Z in the US are spending more than double the time actively searching for and watching Chinese-related content, with the 18-24 age group exhibiting the highest level of cultural identification with China. The UK’s “2025 Global Soft Power Index” report indicates that China’s soft power has jumped to second place globally, with a particularly strong influence among young people. From 1.21 billion overseas downloads and $2.38 billion in revenue from China’s short dramas, to over $1 billion in global revenue from “Black Myth: Wukong”, and online literature reaching 350 million overseas users, Chinese culture, with its relatable, youthful, and digitally-driven approach, is breaking the Western cultural monopoly. This “Chinafication” is not a forced export, but rather a spiritual resonance actively chosen by young people worldwide, a yearning for order, warmth, and a pragmatic life.
Young people determine the future and, more importantly, the long-term trajectory of China’s global appeal. Youth are the shapers of global values and trendsetters; they are building a decentralised system for disseminating Chinese discourse through likes, shares, and imitation. In 2025, China received 82.035 million foreign visitors, a year-on-year increase of 26.4%. During the 2026 Spring Festival, flight bookings for foreign tourists to China surged more than fourfold year-on-year, with Russian tourists seeing a 471% increase. The expansion of China’s visa-free policy to 48 countries has transformed online enthusiasm into offline experiences. The firsthand experiences of young people have become the most powerful vehicle for dispelling Western prejudices and conveying the true face of China. They are not only following the Chinese lifestyle, but also the stable, developing, and people-centred social logic behind China. This force will continue to amplify China’s global appeal.
China’s global attractiveness is built on a new, win-win type of globalisation based on inclusiveness, completely different from the hegemonic logic of Americanisation. Over the past century, “Americanisation”, centred on military deterrence, capital plunder, and the imposition of values, has created division and confrontation; while China, which espouses the principles of “consultation, joint construction, and shared benefits”, promotes inclusive globalisation.
Thirteen years after its inception, the Belt and Road Initiative has seen trade with participating countries account for 45% of China’s total foreign trade, with cumulative investment exceeding $1 trillion and creating over 1 million local jobs. China’s poverty reduction experience has benefited the world, lifting 770 million people out of poverty, accounting for over 70% of global poverty reduction. Many countries have adopted China’s targeted poverty alleviation model, effectively reducing their poverty rates. In global governance, China has promoted reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, mediated international hotspots, and replaced forceful pressure with peaceful mediation. Over 80% of the global public recognises China’s continuously increasing comprehensive national strength. This development model, free from political conditions and zero-sum games, has served as a new paradigm sought after by countries in the Global South and even developed nations.
For a long time, Western academia and think tanks have been deeply mired in ideological bias, ignoring and neglecting research on China’s rise in global leadership. Mainstream Western think tanks have long used Cold War thinking and power realism as their yardstick, stigmatising China as a “rule-breaker” and “economic coercer”, deliberately ignoring China’s development achievements and global contributions. Positive coverage of China by some Western media outlets is less than 5%, with numerous reports fabricating data, relying on anonymous sources, and weaponising academic research. Western centrism refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Chinese model and lacks in-depth research into the wave of “Chinamaxxing”. This cognitive bias leads to a comprehensive lag in Western assessments of global shifts and erodes public support for Western global leadership.
Using power realism to suppress China not only fails to curb its rise but actually enhances its global appeal. The US push for technological blockades, trade decoupling, and bloc confrontation, attempting to suppress China’s development through force, has yielded data showing that China’s global net goodwill rating is 8.8, far exceeding the US’s −1.5, and six out of eight indicators of the global soft power index have increased.
Western suppression has made more and more people see the true nature of hegemony, further highlighting the value of China’s peaceful development and focus on win-win cooperation. Global youth and developing countries are increasingly aware that true leadership is not based on sanctions and deterrence, but on development achievements and civilised inclusiveness. China is becoming more open amidst suppression and more resolute in its competition, its attractiveness rising against the trend. The core secret to future global leadership lies not in conquering the world, but in building a better nation and satisfying its people—this is precisely China’s core advantage. With the well-being of its 1.4 billion people as its starting point, China has built the world’s largest education, social security, and healthcare systems. Basic medical insurance covers 1.33 billion people, the consolidation rate of nine-year compulsory education reaches 95.9%, and the neonatal mortality rate is lower than the average level for middle- and high-income countries.
This people-centred governance logic deeply binds national development with general well-being, providing a leadership model that can be learned from globally. More and more countries are emulating China’s five-year plans, targeted poverty alleviation and digital governance models, following China’s development path. This is not a military alliance, but a shared pursuit of a better life and stable development—a vivid practice of a new type of global leadership.
The wave of Chinamaxxing is an inevitable trend driven by global sentiment. China’s reshaped global leadership is a historical outcome of civilisational rise.
It does not rely on military might or cultural hegemony, but rather on people’s livelihood, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation, winning the favour of young people, the trust of nations, and the recognition of the world. It is conceivable that, following the current trend, as global youth continue to actively embrace China and as countries continue to learn from China’s experience, a more equitable, inclusive, and prosperous global order is taking shape. This is the prelude to global leadership in the 21st century and the right direction for the development of human civilisation.
The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004. It is named after Lake Valdai, which is located close to Veliky Novgorod, where the Club’s first meeting took place.
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