Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Editor's Note:

The world is increasingly seeing China as "cool" - a description now frequently used not only by international media but also by a growing number of foreign visitors and observers who have personally experienced the dynamism of this country. A China full of innovative momentum, developmental vitality and cultural inclusiveness is taking clearer shape day by day. As we approach the end of 2025, the Global Times (GT) launches this year-end special series "What makes China cool?" to explore the key to China's growing appeal.

In the second installment of the series, GT reporter Wang Wenwen interviewed Lee Camp (Camp), an American comedian who was the host of the hit comedy news TV show Redacted Tonight, about the coolness of China's civilizational inclusiveness and how it finds resonance from across the globe.


GT: You have been to China a few times. Which aspect of your travels made you feel that China is cool?

Camp: I'd say "diversity." I have been to Beijing and Xizang. In Beijing I saw skyscrapers and went to excellent restaurants. In Xizang, I went looking for natural wildlife and played basketball with Buddhist monks. China has both exciting modern cities and peaceful natural places. This mix of different cultures and landscapes is what makes the country so special and interesting.

I think a lot of the world needs to start understanding China. China is so large and has so many people that there are many unique experiences you can have within China. It is not one group of people. It's not even one culture in the sense that there are different aspects to the culture throughout China. I feel like I've only gotten this little taste of what China has to offer, but it is very cool.


GT: With more and more foreigners eager to know about China, China is opening its door wider by offering visa-free entries. For many foreigners, before they came, China was a myth. After they came, they became a fan of China. Why is this? 

Camp: China is getting increasingly cool and mind-blowing to a lot of people in other countries both by technology and the advancements in so many fields. That information has to get out. China is opening its doors more, and more people are coming. When people come, they film videos of their experiences and post them online, so more of the world is able to see what is happening in China, what it looks like, how unique it is and how cool it is.

Cultural exchange is important, whether it's between China and the US, or other countries. Understanding how other people live and what is good about their society is essential. What we should do around the world is look at a society or a group of people, and figure out what they're doing. If that is working, then everybody should start doing it. 

What the US does is we ignore, we deny, we make up propaganda to go against it. What we really need is just grand cultural communication exchange. We need to learn what works and makes this world better. To me, that is what is cool about what China is doing. It's getting people to understand what is working well in China and that other countries and other spheres around the world could try to do the same. That's important. You're going to see a lot more videos being posted of what people see and what's magical about China.


GT: You are a comedian and your show often touches on various issues of the US in a satirical and humorous way. Comparatively, what governance philosophies of China is the driving force of China's "coolness"?

Camp: Comparing China and the US, I find modern infrastructures in China and functional bridges that are not collapsing pretty cool (he laughs). Advancements in new energy and the efforts toward solar energy on a scale that is unfathomable in the West are very cool. Recently, I covered the news that Chinese doctors invented a bone glue that can treat fractures with a single injection and bond shattered bone fragments in just three minutes and can be naturally absorbed by the body as the bone heals. For the most part or entirely, it is done outside of the profit motive. But, in the US, once we find the thing that helps people, we're going to charge so much money for it that most Americans won't even be able to afford it.

One of the things that is commonly noted about China is you can change the policies and the policies are what impact life day to day; in the US, we claim you can change the party, but you can't change the policies and the policies stay the same no matter what people want. You could go down a long list of things that Americans want to happen that will never get through our congress and our government, things such as fixing our infrastructure or providing free health care or free college education. All these things are hugely popular with the American people, but they will never go through our government. 

In China, however, it is very different. In Xizang, I saw modern towns which the local government built for its poor residents where they can have clean water and reliable electricity. More importantly, they are not forced to move there; they can choose to stay. This aspect of the government doing something for the people in such a large way just doesn't exist in the US.

When a government is clearly working to better the lives of its citizens, it makes the average person feel comfortable, secure and happy. I see this in China. You can also see this in other countries that work to create better lives for their people. Being American, it feels to me a lot like our government works very hard to exploit other nations but does not focus on helping Americans. That's so NOT cool (he laughs).


GT: Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, which area of China do you expect to be even cooler?

Camp: On the top of my list is fighting climate crisis. If China keeps finding new forms of energy and moving off fossil fuels, that will be a game changer for humanity. We can't waste any more time on that front. I know China is making great advancements with fusion energy. There are other green technologies that China has been at the forefront. China has more solar energy than any country on the Earth. For example, in many parts of the country, China is taking an area of land of hundreds of miles and greening it. Those type of advancements are going to be really massive.