China Wants Western Influencers: An Unusual Email
Could the country of China genuinely want Western influencers to create content for them? It sounds far-fetched, but a recent email suggests it’s more likely than not. The email, received recently, initially appeared to be spam due to its appearance among numerous absurd solicitations.
However, this particular email stood out. It was an invitation from a talent agency named “Winter Whale,” extended to content creators under 35. The offer: a 10-day, fully sponsored trip through five Chinese cities – Suzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Handan, and Beijing – as part of the “2025 China-Global Youth Influencer Exchange” from July 14-23, 2025.
The email promised opportunities to co-create with Chinese influencers, network with creators from over 100 countries, and participate in global discussions. Crucially, all major expenses, including airfare, hotel, transport, and meals, were included. In return, selected participants were expected to post two videos during the trip and contribute to a collaborative highlight reel. While visually resembling spam, a nagging memory suggested this might be a real phenomenon.
Connecting the Dots: The Indonesian Precedent
That hunch turned out to be correct. Earlier in the year, in February, a similar event involving Indonesian influencers garnered attention. An article titled “Indonesian Influencers Explore Chongqing’s Unique Charm” detailed a trip where 10 Indonesian social media personalities enjoyed a curated tour of Chongqing, highlighting its appeal as a tourist destination.
The promotion of this trip offers crucial context. One key network involved was the Western China International Communication Organization (WCICO), described as a media apparatus working closely with China’s central media. Another prominent promoter was GLOBALink, a news portal for the official state news agency of the People’s Republic of China, Xinhua News Agency. Xinhua is known as a mechanism for distributing information related to the Chinese government and the ruling communist party, historically described as “The eyes and tongue” of the CCP. This trip was carefully covered and promoted by these state-linked media arms.
Furthermore, the trip received coverage in Indonesia through an outlet called ANTARA, which has a direct cooperation agreement with the Xinhua News Agency, acting as a proxy for the CCP’s messaging. This established a pattern: popular foreign influencers on a controlled, paid trip, presenting a favorable view of China, with strategic coverage by state-linked media outlets.
Understanding the Strategy: Soft Power and the “White Monkey” Concept
This approach is recognized as a “soft power” strategy, used by China previously not only in Indonesia but also with variations in countries like Poland and the Czech Republic. In 2024, Polish influencer Jan Michalek reportedly received a similar all-expenses-paid trip, showcasing specific destinations and a curated cultural snapshot, including areas like the Xinjiang province, which is internationally known for human rights concerns.
Adding another layer of context is the term “white monkey” reportedly used in China, where foreigners are hired for situational promotion, sometimes simply due to their race. This practice is said to be based on the idea that association with foreigners can elevate perceived international status. Viewing these sponsored influencer trips through this lens suggests a deliberate tactic to use Western faces to promote a specific image of China to international audiences.
Confirming the Current Outreach to US Influencers
Circling back to the email received on June 10th, 2025, its timing coincided with reports in major news outlets. Bloomberg published an article titled “Beijing Woos US Influencers With Free Trip to Show ‘Real China’,” and the Economic Times reported “China is offering American social media influencers an all-expenses-paid, 10-day trip. Check terms and conditions.” Both articles emphasized the same five cities mentioned in the email.
This confirms the authenticity of the outreach. China appears to be offering state-sponsored, expedited visas to popular US influencers for a carefully curated 10-day visit. The goal is clearly to have them present “the real” version of China to their Western audiences. The broad targeting of influencers under 35 suggests an effort to reach a younger demographic.
Speculation suggests this initiative aims to replicate the positive portrayal of locations seen with influencers like Ishowspeed during his world tours. While his approach was generally positive, the key difference here is the state sponsorship and potential for controlled messaging.
The Purpose: Trading Your Voice for State Backing
It is important to understand that this is not simply a free vacation. While the trip includes networking opportunities and access to technology companies like BYD and XiaoHongShu Technologies, its core purpose is a social media power play. Those who accept are, in essence, paying for the trip by agreeing to post content dictated or heavily influenced by the organizers, effectively parroting talking points from the CCP to their Western audience. That is the straightforward purpose: trading independent voice for state-sponsored exposure.
Accepting such an offer means trading independence for state backing, potentially gaining followers and significant financial benefits. In this context, the concept of being a “white monkey” – used for external validation and propaganda – becomes relevant. By participating, influencers become tools to project a specific, carefully managed image of China.
Conclusion: Deciding Whether to Participate in Propaganda
While the email received appears legitimate based on header analysis and coinciding news reports, the decision to participate in such a trip involves a clear ethical consideration. Accepting a fully sponsored trip with the implicit or explicit expectation of promoting a state-approved narrative is engaging in propaganda.
Given a history of criticizing the Chinese government and its policies, participating would be contradictory and likely lead to disqualification by the organizers anyway. Even without that history, trading one’s voice and credibility for a sponsored trip is not a worthwhile exchange. The coming months may reveal which prominent Western social media influencers accept these offers and begin promoting carefully curated messages about Chinese cities and companies, highlighting the success of this soft power initiative. Ultimately, individuals must decide if the benefits of a sponsored trip outweigh the cost of becoming an instrument of state propaganda.
