Accent Salon No.3 I The age of Chinamaxxing? A conversation with Dan Wang, Iza Ding and Adam Tooze

​“Chinamaxxing” has recently emerged as a viral trend on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where young Western users—half-ironically, half-seriously—embrace Chinese lifestyle habits, aesthetics, and consumer products. From drinking hot water to praising styles of governance, the trend reflects a curious mix of fascination, aspiration, and cultural play, often tied to China’s rapid technological rise.

​But beyond the meme, what does “Chinamaxxing” reveal about shifting global perceptions of China? Beneath the familiar narrative of “the East is rising and the West is declining” (东升西降), what does this phenomenon actually say about China—and perhaps even more revealingly, about the West itself?

​This conversation brings together three leading thinkers to explore these questions. Together they will unpack the myth behind the rise of “Chinamaxxing”.

​Guest Speakers

​Dan Wang: Research fellow of Hoover Institute at Stanford University, author of 《Breakneck》

​Iza Ding: Associate Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University, author of 《The Performative State》

​Adam Tooze: Professor at Columbia University, co-initiator of Accent Salon Series

​Format

​4/18, Saturday, 7:30-9:30PM

​The evening will begin with a conversation among the panelists, followed by a Q&A with the audience.

​Accent Salon Series

​This is the 3rd edition of Accent Salon Series. Co-initiated by Accent Society, The Weirdo Podcast, and Chartbook, the series seeks to foster intellectual exchange between New York’s English- and Chinese-speaking communities - and those who move between them - through a mix of online and in-person gatherings.