Hasan Piker Hails China’s Model as ‘More Tolerant’ — Allegations of Mass Detention Go Unaddressed

Streamer Hasan Piker, returning from a trip to China, offered a largely positive assessment of the country's economic performance and political model during an appearance on the Triggernometry podcast. His comments praised aspects of China's development while criticizing comparable elements of the United States.

On the program, Piker argued that the U.S. has adopted some "repressive elements of Chinese governance... especially in the second Trump Administration, and none of the good stuff." He lamented the lack of high-speed rail and described a broader sense of diminished economic optimism in America.

By contrast, he said China is "probably the closest" example from which Western countries could learn, highlighting rapid economic growth and an ability to adapt policies based on past mistakes. At the same time, Piker acknowledged "plenty of failures within the Chinese system" and conceded there is "a lot of surveillance."

"Having said that, it has become far more tolerant as material conditions have improved," Piker said, adding later that China "bills itself as a communist country" even if its economy functions as a mixed-market system and it is run by the Communist Party.

Triggernometry co-hosts Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster pressed him on the implications of one-party rule. Foster warned that concentrated political power can increase the risk of corruption, a critique that applies to highly centralized systems.

Notably, the interview did not address long-standing allegations that the Chinese government has detained large numbers of predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other minorities. U.S. government estimates have placed the number detained in mass internment facilities at over 1 million and suggested there may be roughly 1,200 such camps — claims that have been the focus of international scrutiny and human-rights reporting.

Piker's visit produced several viral clips, including one in which he reacted positively to receiving a copy of Mao Zedong's Little Red Book and a late-night photo captioned that he was "chinamaxxing." During a livestream from Beijing's Tiananmen Square, he reportedly said, "I don't have any patriotism" for the United States. He reaches an audience of more than 5 million followers across Twitch and YouTube.

On the podcast, Piker also said he would not oppose political movements that aim toward an "end goal of communism," describing such outcomes as theoretical end points for some leftist political projects.

Takeaway

Piker offered a sympathetic reading of China's recent development and governance model while acknowledging surveillance and other problems. However, his interview stands out for not engaging with widely reported allegations about mass detention of Muslim minorities — an omission commentators and critics may find significant given his praise for the country's authorities.