China Digital

“A Breath of Fresh Air” – Clubhouse App Discussed by Chinese Social Media Users

Some Chinese social media users describe Clubhouse as “a small crack in the window.”

Published

6 years ago

February 6, 2021

Some call it “a breath of fresh air”, but others would rather read a book. The Clubhouse app is a hot topic among Chinese social media users.

What is Clubhouse? Why is Clubhouse so hot? Would you pay 1000 dollars to enter Clubhouse?

These are just a few of the hashtags and questions relating to the new drop-in audio social media platform Clubhouse that have been making their rounds on Chinese sites such as…

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Manya Koetse

Manya Koetse is a sinologist, writer, and public speaker specializing in China’s social trends, digital culture, and online media ecosystems. She founded What’s on Weibo in 2013 and now runs the Eye on Digital China newsletter. Learn more at manyakoetse.com or follow her on X, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

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China AI

AI Actress Ad Pulled, Baihaitun Disrupts Shanghai and Cicada Meme Bugs Huawei

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1 month ago

August 12, 2026

Manya

Welcome to China Trend Watch (Week 32–33 | 2026), where I bring you the latest trends, memes, and debates driving conversation across Chinese social media. I’m Manya Koetse, a sinologist specializing in Chinese digital culture.

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China Digital

How Chinese AI Videos Turned Foreigners into Villains

How viral AI videos turn racialized outsiders into threats and violent Chinese heroes into defenders of social order, China’s first nationally broadcast AI drama, and why a newspaper is being sold for 50 times its original price.

Published

2 months ago

August 3, 2026

Manya Koetse

Welcome to China Trend Watch (Week 30–33 | 2026), where I bring you the latest trends, memes, and debates driving conversation across Chinese social media. Subscribe here to receive future editions.

Over the past few weeks, a noteworthy amount of AI-related news has been trending on Chinese social media, which is reflected in this week’s edition.

Now that AI has entered every corner of media consumption and online life, related discussions seem…