U.S. political commentator Hasan Piker, known to millions as HasanAbi, concluded his first visit to China this week with a candid interview in Beijing. The Twitch and YouTube star, whose commentary reaches 4.5 million followers, told CGTN's Li Jingjing he aimed to challenge Western media tropes through firsthand observation.
"The gap between Western reporting and China's actual development shocked me," Piker remarked, highlighting infrastructure modernization and poverty reduction efforts he witnessed. His streams this year frequently addressed misconceptions about China's governance model, particularly among young Americans seeking alternatives to domestic political polarization.
The influencer specifically praised China's technological advancements and urban-rural development balance, noting: "When 800 million people leave poverty in two generations, that's not just statistics – that's human potential unleashed." He urged viewers to critically assess cross-strait narratives, emphasizing that U.S.-China relations in 2025 require moving beyond "cold war mentality."
