Beijing woos US influencers with free trip to show the 'real China'

China is inviting American influencers to join a 10-day, all-expenses paid trip through the country in July, as part of Beijing's efforts to boost people-to-people exchanges and showcase the "real China".

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BEIJING —

The initiative, titled "China-Global Youth Influencer Exchange Programme", seeks to enlist young social media influencers with at least 300,000 followers to collaborate with Chinese content creators, according to recruitment posts by Chinese state-affiliated media outlets, including the China Youth Daily.

While relations between China and the US have deteriorated in recent months over issues including geopolitics, technology and trade, the programme marks an effort to boost cultural exchanges.

In 2024, President Xi Jinping had called for more exchanges between Chinese and American universities, after previously announcing a plan to welcome 50,000 American students to China.