While Beijing has been showing off its latest military hardware to an array of international leaders, Chinese cultural icons are making their mark with a very different audience.

At Naomi Osaka’s opening match at the US Open, she had a Labubu attached to her racket bag as she walked on to court which attracted a lot of attention. After the match she told reporters that the doll was a tribute to Billie Jean King (it has big BJK trademark glasses and she calls it Billie Jean Bling).

One of the most notable symbols of the increasing global reach of China’s popular culture is the popularity of the Labubu, a collectable toy with rabbit ears and a grin. Rihanna, David Beckham and Blackpink’s Lisa are among the celebrities photographed with a Labubu doll.

While the doll has been on the market for a few years, sales really took off in 2025. The doll’s Chinese manufacturer, Pop Mart, saw toys from The Monsters franchise, primarily the character Labubu, create US$670 million (£498 million) in revenue in the first six months of 2025, a 668% increase compared to the same period in 2024. And about 40% of its toy sales were outside China.

There have even been fights over the doll in the UK, which led to Pop Mart temporarily suspending sales of the doll at its UK stores.

Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency, said that Labubu “shows the appeal of Chinese creativity, quality and culture in a language the world can understand”.........

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