Lex Fridmans Kina-resa blir viral över spionskämt | NTD NYHETER

A simple hitchhiking video in rural China featuring American podcaster Lex Friedman has gone viral. It sparked widespread debate online after a truck driver admitted he briefly suspected the passengers might be spies. What began as a casual hitchhiking trip in rural China has turned into a viral moment now dominating on Chinese social media. American tech podcaster Lex Friedman, who has more than 5 million YouTube subscribers and British travel creator Michael O'Key were traveling through a remote area in Shaanxi province when they asked a truck driver for a ride using a translation app. Can we get a ride for a little bit? The driver, Mr. Yang, agreed to help, but he later admitted in interviews that he spent much of the journey quietly wondering if his passengers were foreign spies. Yang says he stayed polite and friendly throughout the ride while secretly observing them in his peripheral vision. At one point, Yang says the two travelers noticed his suspicion and explained they were simply discussing life in rural China. We were just talking about the difference. The clip has now racked up more than 7.6 million views on Chinese platforms and sparked heated and often humorous debates online. Some Chinese netizens joked seeing a foreigner and immediately suspecting him of being a spy shows the state security propaganda has been super effective. Others joked a nationwide spy hunt. Later, Friedman posted on X that the journey had been wild. He added that he has been truly humbled and inspired by the kindness he has experienced throughout his trip. But in China, the clip continues to trend. It highlights how a simple roadside encounter has become a window into rising geopolitical sensitivity and how quickly online audiences can turn a travel vlog into a global talking point. Friedman plans to visit Taiwan next, where he will explore the democratic and self-governing island for the first time.