Chinese social network and e-commerce platform Xiaohongshu, known in English as RedNote, has set up an office in Hong Kong – its first outside mainland China.
Finance chief Paul Chan officiated at an opening ceremony on Saturday, saying the new office would “enhance the visibility of Hong Kong’s tourism, retail, dining and creative industries,” according to a government press release.
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) said the move would help ensure enhanced services for cross-border users and brands.
“As a leading lifestyle community from China, Xiaohongshu’s presence will foster creative collaboration among local content creators, brands and organisations, and promote East-meets-West cultural exchanges and content marketing development among Hong Kong, the Mainland and the global markets,” InvestHK’s Director-General of Investment Promotion Alpha Lau said.
Founded in 2013, Xiaohongshu – which literally means “little red book” – allows its young user base to share fashion, beauty, travel, food, and other tips as a hub for consumption decision-making. It is particularly popular among affluent Gen Z users in urban China, according to Bloomberg.
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It was thrust into the international spotlight in January, gaining an influx of American users amid fears that the US would shut down the popular TikTok video app, owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance.
However, it is also known for heavily censoring or limiting topics sensitive to Beijing. Taiwan’s government banned public servants from using the app on official devices in 2022 over national security concerns.
Once seen as a bridge for Western firms to set up in China, Hong Kong is increasingly being viewed as a test market for mainland firms to go global.
