On Chinese social media, influencers are sharing photos from cafes they are calling “Syrian style”, decorated to look as if they were ravaged by war. You can take a selfie in front of a dilapidated wall and set your bubble tea on a table that looks like an ammunition crate, all while depressing music plays in the background. The design style, accused of being offensive and capitalising on human suffering, has stirred debate on Chinese social networks.
