You can always be more Chinese
You can always be more Chinese is an internet meme and catchphrase associated with Charlotte Fang and the Remilia Corporation ecosystem. The phrase encapsulates Remilia's concept of cultural fluidity and their neo-orientalist approach to internet aesthetics, suggesting that "Chineseness" is an aspirational quality that can be continuously pursued regardless of one's actual heritage or background.[1]
Origin and context
The phrase reflects Remilia's broader interest in what they term "neo-orientalism" and the Looming China concept, which positions China as both a literal source of emerging cultural influence and a metaphor for forces outside Western progressive frameworks.[2]
The meme operates within what Michael Dragovic describes in the introduction to CHINA! as a movement that "believes that anyone who wants to be, can be Chinese," rejecting essentialist notions of cultural identity in favor of a fluid, adoptive approach to cultural signifiers.[3]
Meaning and usage
"You can always be more Chinese" functions on several levels:
Cultural appropriation as aesthetic practice
At its most direct level, the phrase encourages the adoption and remix of Chinese cultural aesthetics and signifiers as part of artistic practice. This connects to Remilia's broader approach to appropriation as a deliberate artistic strategy, which they frame as part of a historical process of cultural exchange and synthesis.[4]
Philosophical stance
On a philosophical level, the phrase embodies a rejection of static cultural categories and identities. By suggesting that "Chineseness" is something that can be continuously pursued and intensified regardless of one's starting point, the meme challenges essentialist notions of cultural belonging.[5]
Accelerationist metaphor
Within Remilia's framework, becoming "more Chinese" can also function as a metaphor for embracing accelerationist principles and moving beyond the constraints of Western progressive ideology. In this reading, "Chineseness" represents an alternative developmental trajectory characterized by what Fang describes as "synthesis of ancient mysticism and insect capitalism."[6]
Relation to other Remilia concepts
The "You can always be more Chinese" meme connects to several other key Remilia concepts:
Looming China
The meme directly expresses the Looming China concept, which positions China as both a literal source of emerging cultural influence and a metaphor for alternative developmental frameworks outside Western progressive paradigms.[7]
Post-identity
The embrace of "becoming more Chinese" connects to Remilia's post-identity principles by suggesting that cultural identity, like artistic creation, is not fixed or owned but fluid and collectively accessible.[8]
Everyone is a Chinese wigger online
The meme is closely related to the phrase Everyone is a Chinese wigger online, which similarly plays with notions of cultural appropriation and identity in digital spaces.[9]
See also
References
- ↑ scearpo (June 20, 2022). "On Jade Posting". Golden Light Mirror. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ↑ Dragovic, Michael. "Translator's Introduction." In CHINA!, edited by Charlotte Fang. Remilia House, 2024.
- ↑ Dragovic, Michael. "Translator's Introduction." In CHINA!, edited by Charlotte Fang. Remilia House, 2024.
- ↑ Charlotte Fang. "What Remilia Believes In: A New Net Art Manifesto". Golden Light Mirror. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ↑ Charlotte Fang (November 21, 2023). "Tweet on cultural multipolarity". X. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ↑ scearpo (June 20, 2022). "On Jade Posting". Golden Light Mirror. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ↑ Charlotte Fang (November 21, 2023). "Tweet on esoteric take on Chineseposting". X. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ↑ Charlotte Fang. "What Remilia Believes In: A New Net Art Manifesto". Golden Light Mirror. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ↑ Charlotte Fang (November 21, 2023). "Tweet on esoteric take on Chineseposting". X. Retrieved November 2, 2025.