Japan doesn't always have an easy ride on Chinese social media.
A history of conflict, ongoing diplomatic spats and a rise in nationalist sentiment have led to several vitriolic attacks on Japanese users. But one Japanese Olympian has become a media darling in China, as the BBC's Yashan Zhao explains.
She may have lost her match to a Chinese player, but she has won China's heart.
"Don't Cry, Ai-chan" has been trending on China's micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo since Japan's Ai Fukuhara lost the table tennis semi-final 4-0 to China's Li Xiaoxia on Wednesday.
Thousands of Chinese fans have been comforting the girl they call "Japanese doll" on social media, or by the affectionate Japanese term "Ai-chan".
As a teenager Fukuhara joined the Chinese national table tennis team for training in northern Liaoning province, and speaks with a fluent Chinese Northern dialect. She still has a Chinese coach.
On Thursday, Fukuhara thanked her coach on Weibo, saying that she would cheer up. She posted in Mandarin Chinese.
"I feel so sorry for Ai Chan," said Weibo user Jinbiao.
"She is so tough and strong to continue to compete in the Games as the Chinese table tennis team are too strong to defeat. But she never gives up. And the longer she plays, the better result she gains," Jinbiao said.
Many fans said she seemed "vulnerable", recollecting in particular when she burst into tears after losing a competition when she was younger.
But she is also considered "cute as a doll" with a sweet voice, a highly sought-after feature in China.
But that's not the whole picture. They also adore her because she has a strong connection with China, with Chinese sports fans watching her grow up.
Many say the 27-year-old Olympic feels like family when she speaks Mandarin.
"Competitive sport is beyond nationality, such as the North and South Korean players taking a selfie together," Langsha Jiang, a sports fan in Sichuan, told the BBC.
"Every athlete has a home country but we need to regard him or her as an individual first."
"I don't think Ai's story has anything to do with her nationality. We've seen her growing from the youngest player in Japan team and now she is a leading figure.
"Years ago, she was a little girl but soon she may get married."