'Labubu' diplomacy: A Chinese doll that's bridging cultures

A performer wearing a costume of a character from Pop Mart's hugely popular Labubu dolls series at the Pop Land theme park in Beijing. Getty

In recent days, I have repeatedly seen an endearing video on social media platforms and in local and international media outlets of a graduate from China’s prestigious Tsinghua University.

In the clip, the student is seen bringing her beloved “Labubu” doll to the graduation ceremony stage and asking the university’s vice president to share a cute moment with her by moving the doll’s cap tassel. This clip has garnered millions of views and has been covered by international media organisations, including well-known UAE-based outlets.

Thereby, Labubu has found itself to be in the global spotlight, reflecting the love that people around the world, including Arab audiences, have for this unique doll.

Labubu’s widespread popularity is not a coincidence; rather, it reflects the ability of Chinese culture to interact with global cultures through symbols that inspire shared emotions and express values such as innocence, joy, courage, kindness and friendship.

The unique design and blend of Asian aesthetics with global folk art expressions have made Labubu a visual language understood by all. The doll’s popularity reveals a deeper truth: there is a global thirst for cultural values that transcend isolation, celebrate difference and diversity, and seek moments of joy in a complex world.

This is where the importance of China’s Global Civilisation Initiative becomes clear.

Mokoko, left, and Labubu found at Pop Land in Beijing. AFP

The initiative calls for promoting dialogue and understanding between cultures based on mutual respect and a shared future. Through this framework, China calls for respecting the diversity of civilisations, defending the common values of humanity, emphasising the importance of the inheritance and innovation of civilisations, and jointly promoting international cultural and humanitarian exchanges and co-operation.

It makes a sincere call to the world to promote exchanges and dialogue between civilisations and advance human civilisation through inclusiveness and mutual learning, thus providing a moral driving force for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Labubu is not alone. Other Chinese cultural products are beginning to resonate globally, such as the game Black Legend: Wukong, inspired by ancient Chinese mythology and a great classic in Chinese literature, and the animated film Ne Zha, which reinterprets Chinese epics in a modern artistic language.

Moreover, such phenomena as “China Travel” and “China Shopping” have attracted millions of foreign visitors, including citizens of Arab countries, to explore the country, from its urban landmarks to its popular culture, reflecting a growing cultural presence that transcends stereotypes.

By visiting China, people have a better opportunity to understand the features of its culture more deeply, contributing to the promotion of cultural exchange and understanding among peoples. These phenomena demonstrate that the world is no longer merely searching for power, but rather for meaning and human warmth.

Buildings are lit up with characters from the movie 'Ne Zha 2' in Chengdu, in China’s south-west Sichuan province, in February. AFP

A doll, a film, or a travel experience can open windows to understanding others and break down psychological and cultural barriers

China today offers a renewed cultural model based on creativity, respect for diversity and honest exchanges between civilisations, rather than conflict.

Labubu does not convey a political message, but by virtue of its cuteness and simplicity, it embodies the spirit of cross-cultural communication and human exchange. From this perspective, its concept aligns with the World Civilisation Initiative, which calls on all countries to respect the diversity of civilisations around the world, thus contributing to the promotion of understanding and mutual learning among different peoples and societies.

At a time when talk about a clash of civilisations is rife, Labubu and other similar Chinese cultural products demonstrate that even the simplest forms of creativity can be a gateway to profound dialogue between peoples.

A doll, a film, or a travel experience can open windows to understanding others and break down psychological and cultural barriers. These products, with their aesthetic and humane values, are no longer mere consumer goods; they have become effective vehicles for cultural rapprochement and exchange, reflecting the spirit of openness and pluralism advocated by the Global Civilisation Initiative.

Through these creative mediums, Chinese culture not only presents itself to the world but also contributes to building bridges of understanding and trust, affirming that the path to dialogue begins with recognising the other and respecting their diversity.

Thus, cultural products are transformed into a true soft power, enriching the global cultural landscape and practically embodying China’s vision for a future based on pluralism, co-existence and openness, rather than hegemony and conflict.