This is not a 'trend' but a controlled influence campaign by the Chinese party-state.
"As a Chinese person who has been online throughout years and years of heavy Sinophobia, it felt refreshing to have the mainstream opinion finally shift regarding China," Claire, a Chinese-Canadian TikTok user, tells BBC Chinese.
There has been no "heavy sinophobia" but reports that were and still are critical about the Chinese government. Nor does the mainstream opinion now shift as people are still if not even more aware of Beijing's atrocities. This is just an influencer saying something like that for money, and I would like to know who pays her.
The article itself says later:
[Chinese state media and the government] have sought to portray the US as a decaying superpower because of inequality, a weak social safety net and a broken healthcare system. According to a commentary in state-owned Xinhua, the "kill line" meme "underscores how far the lived reality can drift from the ideals once broadcast to the world".
And:
It's little wonder that Chinese authorities are pleased with Chinamaxxing [...] Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said [...] he was "happy" to see foreigners experiencing the "everyday life of ordinary Chinese people".
Sure, they are pleased. They control the entire campaign on social media.
As the article says at the end:
It's hard to know what Chinese people make of so many things because all public conversation and activity is heavily policed. Criticising the government is risky and protests are quickly quashed.
Tere is a lot the memes making it to the West don't show. China's youth are facing an unemployment rate that sits at more than 15% and burning out from a gruelling work culture, yet sharing too much of their pessimism online could alert internet censors. They are worried about finding a home as the country's property crisis continues, and dating is no easier than anywhere else.
Yes, and there is a lot more what is not displayed on Chinese social media given the state's censorship.
The headline and the article are highly misleading imo. This is pure Chinese Communist Party propaganda.