Weibo Watch: Of Floods and Fragility

From devastating floods to an unexpected hit song, here’s a closer look at the top stories on Chinese social media.

Published

3 years ago

August 6, 2023

PREMIUM NEWSLETTER | ISSUE #10

This week’s newsletter:
◼︎ 1. Editor’s Note – Of floods and fragility
◼︎ 2. What’s Trending – A closer look at the top stories
◼︎ 3. What to Know – Highlighting 8 hot topics
◼︎ 4. What Lies Behind – Extreme weather and eco-anxiety in China
◼︎ 5. What’s Noteworthy – Hangzhou bear goes viral for looking too human
◼︎ 6. What’s Popular – Chaotic, expensive, anticipated: TFBoys concert
◼︎…

Editorial

Look Only at the Ugly Sides, and You Won’t See China

A response to a Dutch debate on China, and why nuance matters in an age of geopolitical polarization.

Published

3 months ago

June 2, 2026

Manya Koetse

The following is an English translation of a Dutch opinion piece I wrote in response to a recent essay in FD (Het Financieele Dagblad, the Dutch Financial Daily). It reflects on how China is discussed in Europe and why nuance matters in debates about freedom, safety, and public perceptions of China.

Anyone who says something positive about China nowadays quickly runs the risk of being dismissed as a propagandist. This became apparent again this week…

Chapter Dive

Eye on Digital China: How Chinese Social Media Evolved from the Blog Era to the AI-driven Age

A look back at the three major phases of China’s social media — and why What’s on Weibo is evolving into Eye on Digital China.

Published

9 months ago

November 12, 2025

Manya Koetse

This edition of the Eye on Digital China newsletter by Manya Koetse was sent to premium subscribers. Subscribe now to receive future issues in your inbox.

“Do you still remember going to the internet cafe, paying 2 yuan ($0.30) per hour during the day or 7 yuan ($1) for an all-nighter? Staying up playing games and surfing around?”

It’s the kind of content you’ll often see today on platforms like Douyin or Bilibili…