The Chinese social networking app ‘Xiaohongshu’, better known as RedNote, is becoming the most downloaded app in the United States as TikTok users migrate to it since the platform’s future is in doubt, as reported by ABC news.

Some of the so-called “TikTok refugees” claim that the TikTok replacement, a Chinese app, is being widely used in the absence of TikTok.

Here’s what you should know about Xiaohongshu:

This lifestyle social media app has features like live-streaming and shopping in addition to letting users upload brief videos, images, and messages.

As “refugees” from the well-known short video platform TikTok flocked to a Chinese social media site to protest a probable ban on the service, a rare wave of US-China solidarity emerged online.

They were met with surprise, curiosity and in-jokes on Xiaohongshu — literally, “Little Red Book” — whose users saw English-language posts take over feeds almost overnight, as reported by AP news.

Americans used the hashtags “TikTok refugees,” “ask me anything,” and “cat tax” to identify themselves. They also posted pictures of their pets.

It’s a rare instance of direct communication between two virtual worlds that are often separated by business borders, language barriers, and China’s strict internet censorship policies, which prevent access to almost all global media and social media platforms.

Also read: TikTok goes dark in US; disappears from Apple, Google app stores

Why is a Chinese app being downloaded by Americans?

Since China’s “Great Firewall” prevents globally famous sites like Instagram and X, Chinese and American users rarely ever find themselves in the same online areas. Users in China are blocked by TikTok, which instead directs them to Douyin, its onshore network.

However, others started moving to Xiaohongshu as the deadline for a rule that would ban TikTok in the US starting on January 19, which is located in China, drew near.

“When they tell us you can’t have a Chinese app anymore, we go straight to another Chinese app,” said Katie Lawson, a farmer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who has posted videos of her chickens and saved many recipes from the app. “We’re going to go explore that country and their values ourselves. We’re going to go straight to the source.”

How is Xiaohongshu different from TikTok?

TikTok, is an international app whose users and content are isolated from those of the Chinese equivalent, Douyin, while being owned by a Chinese parent firm.

The vast majority of Xiaohongshu’s 300 million monthly active users are Chinese, to the point where several sections of its interface are not available in English.

One of the fastest-growing applications in China, it is well-known for its welcoming environment and emphasis on peer-to-peer guidance and user ratings. Long-time users include foreign superstars like Mariah Carey and Maye Musk, Elon Musk’s mother. In 2018, Kim Kardashian became a member of the app.

How many Americans have joined Xiaohongshu?

The software has risen to the top of the free download charts on both iOS and Android, where it has remained for days without the company disclosing official statistics.

Also read: TikTok tells users it will be ‘temporarily unavailable’ in the US on Sunday

There are approximately 24 million postings on the network with two variations of the TikTok refugee hashtag, and many users’ feeds have relevant posts near the top.

What are people discussing?

A large number of American users say they’ve received a warm welcome from the community, with #TikTokrefugee. “Welcome the global villagers” remains the top one trending topic on Xiaohongshu, with 8.9 million views on Thursday.

Notes on food costs, rent, health insurance, medical expenses, and the mother-in-law-daughter connection are being compared by users from both nations. In two nations, parents discuss what their children are learning in school. Some have already established a community by joining book clubs.

Chinese users taught Americans what sensitive themes and key phrases are to escape censorship on the app after American users enquired about how Chinese see the LGBTQ community and were informed that it was among sensitive issues.

What response is the Chinese government giving?

The protest against the ban has been welcomed by Chinese official media, which have consistently denied American accusations against TikTok.

People’s Daily, China’s biggest national newspaper, said in an op-ed about TikTok refugees on Thursday that says the TikTok refugees found a “new home,” and “openness, communication, and mutual learning are the unchanging themes of mankind and the heartfelt desires of people from all countries.”