It holds the top position among the most downloaded social networks in the Apple stores in the United States. Shuang is hooked on an app that many of its followers believe ironically adopted the name of a popular red-covered book full of doctrinal quotes from the founding father of communist China.

In the days leading up to a proposed US government ban on the social media platform TikTok, American users have turned to another Chinese-owned app, Xiaohongshu.

American users are not waiting around to find out what will happen to TikTok. Instead of turning to alternative US social media such as Instagram or Facebook, they have flocked to Xiaohongshu, making it the top free-to-download app on the Apple US App Store at one point on Jan 13.