Foreign influencers arrive to turn focus on culture, creativity

Senegalese-Italian influencer Khaby Lame — the "Silent Comedy King" — has over 162 million followers on his TikTok account. The 25-year-old, whose real name is Seringe Khabane Lame, shot to fame with his expressive mute reactions to overly complicated life hacks.

He is one of the world's most popular online personalities, but it's in China, a country known for its vibrant digital culture, that his rise has been especially meteoric.

His Chinese fans call him wuyu ge, or speechless brother.

On July 31, Lame officially joined Weibo, one of the most popular social media platforms in China.

"You might not know my name, but I'm guessing you've definitely used my reaction memes," he posted on Weibo. "I am super excited to be officially here on Weibo! I've heard Chinese netizens are the masters of creativity and humor, so let's have some fun!"

Within 24 hours, he garnered more than 100,000 followers on Weibo. Lame also launched accounts on other Chinese social media platforms, including RedNote and Kuaishou, which received warm feedback from his local fans.

Lame's popularity in China derives from his iconic facial expressions, which have been absorbed into Chinese digital culture. One deadpan expression, often paired with an open palm gesture, perfectly encapsulates the feeling of "Why complicate things?" — a sentiment that resonates deeply in Chinese online communities.