Your Call: 'Chinamaxxing', dancing AI robots, and China's rising cultural popularity

Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald · Feb 23, 2026 · 29m

There's a growing trend on TikTok of being in a "very Chinese era of life". It's associated with changing shoes indoors, drinking hot water, and preparing traditional Chinese meals. It's being called 'Chinamaxxing'. But what exactly is this indicating more broadly?

China has been growing in 'soft power' -- the kind of power that comes from cultural influence and intrigue rather than more forceful geopolitical approaches.

Kaiser Kuo, heavy metal rocker and host of the Chinese current affairs podcast, Sinica Podcast, will join Hamish Macdonald and Geraldine Doogue to talk about the internal…