A recent video showing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov joking about the viral “Labubu” doll during a visit to China has reignited focus on the plush toy’s role as a soft-power tool for the Chinese Communist Party. The doll, produced by Beijing-based Pop Mart and heavily promoted by Chinese state media, has become a pop culture sensation both in China and abroad — and a calculated effort by Beijing to improve its international image.
Labubu dolls, sold in “blind box” format, have exploded in popularity across social media platforms like TikTok, especially after celebrities such as tennis star Naomi Osaka flaunted custom versions during the 2025 U.S. Open. The character even made a bizarre appearance at Karl Marx’s grave this summer, underscoring its growing visibility and symbolic weight.
The Chinese government has used Labubu to rebrand its manufacturing image, long associated with forced labor and human rights abuses. Xinhua, the Communist Party’s state-run outlet, called Labubu the “new image of ‘Made-in-China,’” praising China’s industrial system while ignoring its exploitation of Uyghur slave labor and centralized economic control.
Pop Mart’s founder, Wang Ning, has publicly credited China’s one-party regime and manufacturing dominance for the company’s meteoric rise. In July, he told People’s Daily, the Party’s official newspaper, that “Chinese culture and manufacturing made us what we are.” His remarks align closely with Communist Party propaganda efforts to sanitize the regime’s global image.
The Chinese state-run Global Times celebrated Lavrov’s remarks and showcased Russian officials mimicking the doll’s “ugly-cute” expression. Meanwhile, Beijing’s embrace of Labubu reflects its strategy to distract from a deteriorating economy, mass censorship, and ongoing atrocities in East Turkistan.
Despite its cuddly appearance, Labubu is far from apolitical. It now serves as a cheerful mask for a regime that continues to silence dissent and oppress religious minorities while exporting propaganda through pop culture.
