What is a ‘kill line’ and why are Chinese netizens using it to describe living in the US?
The public debate has inevitably drawn parallels with problems faced by China’s own population.
Social media posts highlighting the economic insecurity ordinary Americans face have triggered an intense debate in China about social problems in the US and shattered some long-held perceptions. Many of the posts described the vulnerabilities as a “kill line”, a term used by Chinese video gamers to describe the point before which a character can be instantly defeated. The term has now been repurposed to describe a financial and social tipping point that could ruin middle-class families. While official channels have seized the opportunity to highlight China’s advantages over the US, the public debate has inevitably drawn parallels with the economic woes faced by Chinese people.