For a long time, China has had an image problem it couldn’t shake off – synonymous with cheap exports and heavy censorship. But are the tides changing – and is China now cool?

Beijing

China's global image, once associated with cheap exports and censorship, is undergoing a transformation as its cultural products gain international popularity. Popmart's Labubu toys, now seen with celebrities and sold in hundreds of stores worldwide, exemplify this trend, with the company forecasting significant profit growth and challenging established Japanese brands.

This cultural shift is also evident in the success of Chinese video games like Black Myth Wukong and Genshin Impact, which have achieved massive sales outside China. Analysts note that young consumers globally are viewing Chinese brands more favorably, a trend reflected in China's improved position in global soft power rankings.

Is Labubu's popularity a sign of China's changing global image?

For years, China has had an image problem it couldn't shake off, synonymous with cheap exports and heavy censorship. Today, though, China is becoming cool. Chinese coffee chains are popping up in New York. Chinese video games are generating billions in revenue. Even sea beauty is expanding its global reach. But perhaps the most surprising breakout in China's cultural rise is a toy. Le Boubous are everywhere. Popmart's ugly-cute $30 keychains are spotted on the bags of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Blackpink's Lisa, as well as legions of fans worldwide. Just a few weeks ago, Popmart opened its first store in Germany, the newest addition to over 500 stores globally. The toy maker's star is rising, forecasting a 350 percent surge in profit in the first half of 2025. Goldman Sachs says that long-term, Popmart's sales could reach over $11 billion. The company is even challenging Japanese legacy brands like Sanrio and Bandai Namco. Popmart's success isn't a fluke. With dozens of characters and the addictive appeal of the blind box where buyers don't know what they're getting, the company has hit the sweet spot of emotional spending at a time of uncertainty. One of the key themes is IP or chasing for small pleasure. This is something really the young generation love. And you actually find that not only the Chinese, Asia, young generation like these small cute things. Global young generation, they love this. Popmart isn't an outlier in shifting the zeitgeist east. The video game Black Myth Wukong, based on the Chinese folk story Journey to the West, sold 20 million units in its first month of release in August 2024, making it one of the fastest-selling titles of all time. Genshin Impact, a Chinese anime-style game, now generates more revenue outside China than at home, with players in Japan and the U.S. leading the charge, according to data by Statista. Yaling Jiang, a consumer analyst, says young people are generally viewing China and Chinese brands more favorably. I think the best outcome of these consumer products is that people can see through the negative filter of them being Chinese, and they can just see them for what they are. In the Global Soft Power rankings, consulting group Brand Finance says China is moving up the index. It's overtaken the U.K. for the first time and is just behind the U.S. From toys to games to lip gloss, it's the small things that are giving China a glow-up.

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