[Beijing Diary] Chinese Youths' 'Gongyu Janyeo'

China is a paradise for the sharing economy. Bicycles and portable batteries are basic, and even vehicles and various household appliances, big and small, are rented and shared. Although some people question the public morality of Chinese people and doubt the sustainability, even foreigners living in Beijing can clearly see that it is functioning well.

However, no one expected the concept of sharing to penetrate even these areas. Recently, on Xiaohongshu, a social networking service (SNS) in mainland China, the 'shared children' phenomenon is blossoming. Strangers, especially elderly people, help each other as if they were their own parents, and freely use terms like 'mom' and 'dad.' The Xiaohongshu hashtag is 'Huzhufumu Tiaoyue (#互助父母條約),' which literally translates to 'Mutual Parents Assistance Agreement.'

This kind of campaign became a hot topic starting from Xiaogang, an influencer with 580,000 followers. Wearing a T-shirt that says 'Shared Son,' he was featured helping elderly people carry heavy items, assisting a middle-aged woman struggling in front of a kiosk, and handing out bottled water to elderly street cleaners sitting by the roadside in the heat. In the video, he revealed that over 100 young people are participating in the 'Huzhufumu' campaign he is leading.

Xiaogang currently lives about 500 km away from Shanxi Province in northern China, where his parents reside. Physically, he cannot help his parents nearby. He started this campaign with the hope that 'someone would help my parents in my hometown on my behalf.' The specific slogan of the campaign is "We take care of your parents, and you take care of ours."

On the 7th, a post appeared online asking for help for a 54-year-old mother from Henan Province who was traveling to Beijing for the first time in her life. This post, which received thousands of 'likes,' led to numerous helping hands for the elderly traveler.

A worker who had been paying attention to this campaign helped an elderly couple in their 80s who could not find their gate at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport despite the staff's explanation, personally escorting them nearby, and shared the experience online. He also said, "My parents are also getting old. When they face situations they don't understand or problems that are hard to solve outside, I sincerely hope someone will help them."

Although it resembles acts of kindness and goodwill with a long history across East and West, it is intertwined with the complex situation in China. It is like a precious hope emerging from a continent suffering from the floating lives of over 300 million migrant workers, unprecedented rapid urbanization and technological development, dizzying wealth disparity, and generational communication gaps. It would surely make Mencius, who said, "Respect others' parents as you respect your own," smile even from his grave.