Hasan Piker’s China praise is drawing fresh attention after his mother said she does not share his enthusiasm for the country. In a Rolling Stone profile of the streamer, Sedef Piker said she is “not in love with China like he is,” putting a rare family-distance marker on one of the online personality’s most controversial views.
Hasan Piker, 35, has repeatedly spoken favorably about the People’s Republic of China. During a two-week tour of the country in November 2025, he described it as “f—ing sick” on a livestream and argued that its mix of consumer abundance and state-directed economics had produced major development. He also pointed to scenes he said reflected that blend, including “1950s Soviet-era building blocks next to the Gucci store.”
His praise did not stop there. Piker also spoke admiringly of Mao Zedong during the trip, calling him “one of the great leaders of this world” and saying the former Chinese Communist Party chairman changed “the entire universe, the entire planet.” He further claimed that, “in my heart, in my soul, in my mind, in my conscience, I have already become Chinese.” Those comments have helped fuel criticism from people who see him as far removed from the values he attacks in the United States.
Piker has long been a polarizing figure in American online politics. He has criticized the United States in harsh terms, including a 2019 remark that “america deserved 9/11.” He also faced backlash for saying it “doesn’t matter if rapes happened on Oct. 7,” referring to the Hamas attack on Israel that killed more than 1,200 people. The streamer has also been criticized for his wealth, including driving a $200,000 Porsche while presenting himself as a left-wing voice.
