[Beijing Diary] "The Cute Survive" K-Characters That Melted the Continent

Although Korea-China relations are going through a prolonged cooling period, some markets defy the trend. The popularity of Chinese foods like Malatang, Tanghulu, and Yangkkochi, which have swept across Korea, as well as the thriving online platforms such as TikTok, Temu, and AliExpress, are prime examples. It is no exaggeration to say that public opinion in comments is anti-China, while consumer sentiment is pro-China.

In China, Korean content, so-called K-characters, is quietly moving public sentiment. While this is not a new phenomenon, the recent sensational popularity of the character "Maltese" among the younger generation in China is noteworthy.

A 'Maltese' character doll is displayed in front of the checkout counter at a small goods shop in Wangjing, Beijing, China. (Photo by Kim Hyunjung)

The Maltese character that collaborated with Luckin Coffee last year is printed on cup holders and paper bags. (Photo by Baidu)

This character, developed by Korea’s Moonlab, is causing a sensation in China under the name Xi?nti?o Xi?og?u (線條小狗). If we capture its soft and fluffy image, it can be interpreted as "dotted line puppy."

In a survey on "2023 Collaboration of the Year" conducted late last year by DT Business Observer, a media outlet under Jeil Financial, Maltese ranked 4th following collaborations such as Luckin Coffee X Maotai, Luckin Coffee X Tom and Jerry, and Xicha X Fendi. It took 1st place as the most desired collaboration character, overwhelmingly surpassing Disney (6th) and Loopy (7th, a friend of Pororo). Recently, to welcome spring, Luckin Coffee started an additional collaboration featuring Maltese running among falling flower petals on cup holders and store interiors.

The character has also achieved remarkable success on WeChat, which handles online communication for Chinese users. The Maltese emoticon package released on WeChat has a daily transmission volume exceeding 10 million and reached a cumulative 3 billion transmissions within five months of release. On Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, the official platform’s "likes" total 16.3 million, and on Xiaohongshu, a leading local social networking service (SNS), posts with the keyword "dotted line puppy (in Chinese)" have surpassed 220 million views. In April last year, Maltese also collaborated with the Chinese cosmetics brand Baiqieling by featuring the character on giveaway products. Baiqieling is a representative native Chinese brand famous as "Peng Liyuan’s cosmetics," named after the wife of President Xi Jinping, who took it as a state gift for foreign dignitaries.

In a small accessory shop in Wangjing, Beijing, China, Mischievous Loopy character dolls and accessories are displayed prominently. (Photo by Hyunjung Kim)

A Jjangmang Loopy character keyring is displayed at a small accessory shop in Wangjing, Beijing, China. (Photo by Kim Hyunjung)

Besides Maltese, other characters such as Janmang Loopy and Line Friends’ Brown (bear) and Leonard (frog) also enjoy high recognition in China. Plush toys, phone cases, keyrings, and card wallets featuring these characters are easily found in accessory shops. Chinese media and analysts have offered explanations for Maltese’s popularity, citing reasons such as its simple yet clear image, intimacy formed through emoticons, vivid expressions and cheerful gestures, and emotional healing for the younger generation through empathy.

Brian Hare, a professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, and his spouse Vanessa Woods argued in their book Survival of the Friendliest (Deyplott, 2021) that humanity has evolved and survived to this day due to its unique affinity. Borrowing from that context, one could say: even in a time when Korea-China relations and public sentiment between the peoples are extremely chilly, "cute things survive."