Chinese livestreamers are hypnotizing the West (opens in new tab)

In a square in Chongqing, China, a phalanx of besuited men with floppy hair and thick, white foundation marches forwards and backwards. At the front is a couple dressed in dazzling white; the girlfriend faces away from the camera. The pair bark catchphrases to the unseen livestream audience, thanking the watchers of Douyin, Kuaishou and RedNote (Xiaohongshu) ― the Chinese equivalents of TikTok, which is banned in China ― for their generous donations. When a certain threshold of engagement is ...