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Weibo Watch: Shared Roots

The ‘shared roots’ stressed by Wang Yi during the China-Japan-ROK forum are not the kind of roots that matter; it’s the shared memories that connect people.

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PREMIUM NEWSLETTER | ISSUE #9

This week’s newsletter:
◼︎ 1. Editor’s Note – Shared roots
◼︎ 2. What’s Trending – A closer look at the top stories
◼︎ 3. What to Know – Highlighting 8 hot topics
◼︎ 4. What Lies Behind – Collective shock over Coco Lee’s death
◼︎ 5. What’s Noteworthy – Taiwanese man decapitates mother
◼︎ 6. What’s Popular – Jackie Chan’s Weibo page
◼︎ 7. What’s Memorable – One year since Abe’s assassination
◼︎ 8. Weibo Word of the Week – “Chunyuan of China’s Entertainment Industry”

 

Dear Reader,

 

“No matter how blonde you dye your hair, how sharp you shape your nose, you can never become a European or American, you can never become a Westerner. We must know where our roots lie.”

These words, spoken by Chinese top official Wang Yi during the first China-Japan-ROK forum since the outbreak of COVID-19, were intended to emphasize the power of trilateral relations and the shared Chinese, Japanese, and Korean roots. The remark attracted significant attention this week, both on Chinese social media and in English-language social media spheres, albeit for different reasons.

While many on Twitter criticized Wang’s remarks for emphasizing ethnoracial ideas of the nation, Chinese social media users actually supported his comments, stating that he had “hit the nail on the head.”

However, despite agreeing with him, they interpreted his remarks not as a call for unity among China, Japan, and South Korea to “revitalize Asia,” but rather as a critique. Some suggested that Wang’s words were a form of “high diplomacy,” where it appeared that he was praising the relations between the three countries while subtly criticizing the other two for becoming too Westernized and for deviating from their cultural roots.

The online response to Wang Yi’s remarks demonstrates that stressing these kinds of “shared roots” may not hold much significance in a time where “shared memories” are what truly matters. It is not perceived shared race that counts, but rather perceived shared history.

Two other prominent trends this week revealed that netizens were most united when collectively remembering a shared past. The first trend centered around popular culture, as millions mourned the loss of pop icon Coco Lee, who tragically passed away after an attempted suicide. Netizens shared their personal and collective memories of Coco Lee and what she meant to them, bonding through nostalgia and the vibrant pop culture era that brought them together.

The second trend centered around the memory of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which occurred on July 7th, 1937, and led to the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Although today’s netizens did not personally experience this incident, patriotic education campaigns in China during the 1990s and 2000s have stressed the importance of these historical events to such an extent that many feel emotionally connected to this history. This echoes official calls to never forget this incident and how it has shaped the Chinese people. The intensity of the state media campaign surrounding the 86th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident highlights the significance of social media platforms as “patriotic education bases.”

In the end, feelings of connection, unity, and belonging are not about the shape of one’s nose or the color of one’s hair. It is about the stories that we grow up with, passed down by our families and reinforced through education, museums, and media. Particularly in the social media age, where a sense of rootedness may not be immediately apparent, it is these kinds of ‘shared roots’ that become most visible through online discourse.

This week’s newsletter includes valuable insights from What’s on Weibo news editor Miranda Barnes and Zilan Qian, who is interning with us this summer.

On a more personal note..,

I’ll be out traveling through China in the coming few weeks. For me, it will be the first occasion to get back to traveling around the country since the outbreak of Covid-19. Since I want to spend as much time as possible exploring new places and seeing the changes around me, you might temporarily see a bit less content on the site. I will share more about my travels on social media (you can follow me on Twitter or on Instagram). We will get back to our usual work flow and newsletters in August.

Having said that, I would also like to take a moment to express my gratitude to you as a subscriber. It has been eight months since we introduced the ‘soft paywall’ and two months since the inception of the Weibo Watch newsletter. As many of you may know, I have been managing What’s on Weibo single-handedly for the past decade, and these changes were necessary to ensure the sustainability of my work. While we still need more subscribers to ensure the long-term viability of our platform, I am immensely grateful to all of you who have reached out with words of encouragement and support over the past few months. Whether it’s a quick heads-up about a typo, sharing ideas, engaging in discussions, spreading the word, or even generously supporting the site through donations, please know that all of your gestures are very much appreciated.

We are dedicated to staying in tune with everyday China, keeping our finger on the pulse of the latest trends, and uncovering the stories behind the hashtags. By doing so, we aim to build a bridge between Western and Chinese online media spheres, fostering a deeper understanding of China’s ever-evolving digital media landscape. I am excited to continue on this journey and further build this community in the times ahead – and I’m happy you’re part of it.

Keep cool in the summer heat!

Best,
Manya

 

A closer look at the top stories

1: July 7, 1937 | This week, Chinese social media platforms saw active commemoration of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. On significant historical occasions like this, Chinese state media accounts proactively share patriotic and nationalistic content, emphasizing the importance of remembering the history of the Second Sino-Japanese War and China’s ‘century of humiliation.’ These efforts highlight the role of Chinese social media as a prominent platform for patriotic education, reinforcing national consciousness and collective memory among the population.

Read here
 

2: Stressing Shared Roots | During the inaugural China-Japan-ROK forum since the outbreak of COVID-19, Chinese top official Wang Yi emphasized the deep cultural ties between the countries by highlighting their race-based similarities. While there was criticism in English-language social media circles for Wang Yi’s remarks being seen as “playing the race card,” many Chinese social media users supported his comments, stating that he “hit the nail on the head.” Despite agreeing with him, they interpreted his remarks not as a call for unity among Japan, South Korea, and China but rather as a critique of these countries for deviating from their cultural origins.

Read here
 

3: Cai Xukun Responds | The 24-year-old Chinese celebrity Cai Xukun recently became entangled in a scandal when allegations surfaced that he had been involved in a one-night encounter with a young woman who later revealed she was pregnant. It was claimed that Cai had encouraged her to undergo an abortion, which she ultimately did. This week, Cai finally came out and responded, asserting that there was no coercion involved in the decision and that no illegal activities took place. Nevertheless, this revelation has left many of his fans feeling disheartened and disappointed with their idol.

Read here
 

4: Worries over Mpox | This week, reports of several monkeypox (mpox) cases in China have gained significant attention. While the number of reported cases remains limited, and mpox is very different from Covid, netizens have expressed concerns about the possibility of another outbreak and have taken precautions by readying their disinfectant supplies.

Read here

 

What to Know

Highlighting 8 hot topics

Showing batch to avoid a drunk driving check? This incident sparked anger on social media this week. Image via China Digital Times.

◼︎ 1. Coco Lee Death. The passing of Coco Lee (李玟, b. 1975), the Hong Kong pop diva and Chinese-American singer, has deeply saddened Chinese social media this week. Coco Lee was an iconic figure in the Asian pop music scene during the 1990s and 2000s. She made history as the first Chinese artist to perform at the Oscars and lent her voice to Disney’s Mulan, as well as singing the movie’s theme song. Her performances at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala were highly anticipated, and she also sang the theme song “Light Up the Dream” (点亮梦) for the Beijing Winter Olympics. Coco Lee battled with depression for many years and tragically took her own life at the age of 48 (Hashtag: “Coco Lee Passed Away” #李玟去世#, 4.37 billion views on Weibo).

◼︎ 2. Yellen in China. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited Beijing this week for two days of meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other officials, resuming talks with China amid tensions not long after Blinken’s initial visit. While Yellen expressed concerns over China’s recently announced export control on two strategic raw materials, social media users seemed more interested in the Yunnan restaurant in Beijing where she had dinner on her first night. The restaurant, somewhat comically called ‘In and Out’ in English (Chinese name: Yi Zuo Yi Wang 一坐一忘), is a local favorite in Sanlitun. Among other things, Yellen was served spicy potatoes with mint and stir-fried mushrooms, leading to jokes about how the food would affect her and about American budgets being so low that they had to pick such an economical local restaurant. Yellen repeatedly bowing when meeting with China’s He Lifeng also triggered some discussions about American weakness. (Hashtags: “U.S. treasury Secretary First Meal in Beijing” #美财政部长抵京第一餐#; “Yellen Arrives in Beijing” #耶伦抵达北京#)

◼︎ 3. Avoiding DUI with Police Batch. A video went viral on Chinese social media this week showing a driver being let off the hook for a drunk driving check in Pingdingshan, Henan, after a passenger in the back seat presented his police officer’s identification card, demanding special treatment. The man was later identified as Xu, the former head of the Communication Department of the Jia County Public Security Bureau. Xu has reportedly since been dismissed from his position. The traffic police who led him off the hook received “disciplinary punishment.” The incident ignited public outcry, highlighting concerns about privilege and corruption. (Hashtag: “Strict Investigation Into the Privilege Corruption Behind Incident of Policeman Showing Batch to Avoid DUI Police Stop #严查民警亮证逃查酒驾事件中的特权腐败#)

◼︎ 4. Alibaba’s Ant Group Gets 7.1 Billion Yuan Fine. On Friday, Chinese authorities announced a fine of 7.12 billion yuan ($984 million) for Chinese fintech giant Ant Group and its subsidiaries, concluding a 2 year probe into the company. The fine is a result of past violations in areas such as corporate governance, financial consumer protection, and involvement in banking and insurance activities. The penalty marks one of the largest fines ever imposed on an internet company in China. (Hashtag: “Ant Group and Subsidiaries Fined 7.123 Billion Yuan” #蚂蚁集团及旗下机构被罚款71.23亿元#)

◼︎ 5. Cheating Official’s ‘Holding Hand Gate’. You might remember the Chinese official and PetroChina subsidiary executive Hu Jiyong (胡继勇) who was caught walking hand in hand with his mistress and co-worker Ms. Dong during a recent business trip in Chengdu (read here in our previous newsletter). This week, the results of the investigation into the incident were announced by the company’s disciplinary committee. It was found that Hu Jiyong violated Rules of Personal Conduct as well as the Code of Conduct on Integrity by having an extramarital affair with a co-worker and using official travel arrangements for personal purposes. Hu Jiyong has been expelled from the Party, dismissed from public office, and Ms. Dong’s employment contract has also been terminated. (Hashtag “Official Announcement on Results of ‘Holding Hands Gate'” #官方公布牵手门处理结果)

◼︎ 6. Zhihu No Longer Allows Anonymous Function. China’s largest Q&A discussion site, Zhihu, made an announcement this week regarding the removal of the anonymous function from its latest app version. The decision aims to promote “constructive discussions” by disallowing users from posting anonymously, whether it be asking or answering questions. However, for existing content, users still have the option to use their nicknames instead of their real names. Real name authentication (实名制) was already implemented by Zhihu as part of Chinese internet governance back in 2017, but users were still able to post under pseudonyms. While some people support this change, appreciating the transparency it brings and its potential to prevent online bullying, others feel that anonymity is an integral part of the platform’s essence. (Hashtag “Zhihu Announces It Will Take Anonymous Function Offline” #知乎宣布将下线匿名功能#).

◼︎ 7. HK Police Offer Rewards for Arrests of Exiled Dissidents. This week, Hong Kong authorities made an announcement stating that they have offered cash rewards for eight overseas pro-independence activists who have been accused of violating the national security law in the Chinese territory. A bounty of HK$1 million ($127,650) has been offered for information that could lead to the arrests of these individuals. Among the targeted activists are three former lawmakers living in exile and five individuals who have been accused of promoting separatism. (Hashtag: “Hong Kong Police Issue Reward of HKD 1 million Arrest of Ted Hui Chi-Fung and Seven Others” #香港警方悬红100万港元通缉许智峰等8人#).

◼︎ 8. Red Alert Heat Wave. On July 6, Beijing issued a red alert for extremely high temperatures as temperatures in most areas of the city were expected to rise above 40 degrees (104 degrees Fahrenheit). It was the second “red level” warning for heat issued this summer. The city government advised outdoor work to be suspended when temperatures run high, and ordered authorities to take emergency measures to prevent heatstroke. Northern China has seen exceptionally high temperatures this summer. Hebei also issued a red warning for most areas in the province, as some parts saw temperatures between 41 and 43 degrees (105.8 and 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit). (Hashtag: Highest Temperature In Some Hebei Area to Reach 43℃. #河北局地最高气温可达43℃#)

 

What’s Behind the Headlines

Note from the news editor, by Miranda

Image of Coco Lee by Neonqeelin / Wikicommons.

The Collective Shock over Coco Lee’s Death

The sudden tragedy of pop star Coco Lee’s death in the past week has left fans shocked and deeply saddened. The Hong Kong-born singer’s passing occurred after she was discovered in an attempt to take her own life. Many fans found it difficult to believe, as Coco Lee had always exuded energetic inspiration. This news particularly resonated with Chinese millennials, who felt a strong emotional impact. A blogger named LaoChai (老柴) attempted to capture this sentiment and express what Coco represented to them:

The younger generation may struggle to comprehend how special it was for us millennials to experience the turn of the millennium. Regardless of the circumstances within our own small families, everything seemed to be heading towards a bright, open, and prosperous future. People were filled with hope, and it felt as though the joyous ride would never cease. Information was limited, and we relied on DVDs for films and cassette tapes for music. It was a golden era for Chinese music, featuring the best singers from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. We were soft, young, and impressionable, eager to explore the world. The melodies and film clips from that era effortlessly evoke our collective memories.”.

Many individuals resonated with this interpretation, especially considering the challenges faced during the COVID-19 era and China’s current economic environment.

Coco’s tragic death also sparked a broad discussion about mental health, as she had previously revealed her own battle with depression. State media and experts joined forces to raise awareness about mental health — an issue that the country had long overlooked and stigmatized.

However, some people suddenly found their Weibo pages flooded with promoted ads appearing as “quizzes to determine if you have depression.” One person remarked, “While it is good to raise awareness, it is important to seek proper help and diagnosis instead of relying on random online quizzes. It seems like everyone is suddenly depressed when sometimes you just have a bad day like the rest of us!”

 

What’s Noteworthy

Small news with big impact

Image on right side via Up Media.

84-Year-Old Mother Decapitated in Taiwan | A 59-year-old man by the name of Lian from Taiwan was arrested on suspicion of murder in New Taipei’s Xindian District on Tuesday. Local police discovered a horrific scene inside the man’s elderly mother’s apartment. They were alerted by a friend of the victim who discovered Lian covered in blood next to his mother’s lifeless body.

According to media reports, the man is believed to have attacked his mother from behind with a knife while she was eating. After realizing that she was still alive, he grabbed another knife and continued his assault until his mother’s neck was completely severed. The two kitchen knives were found at the scene along with the severed body and head.

The police are currently investigating the case and looking into the motives behind the crime. It is reported that the mother and son had a “good relationship” and often spent time together. The incident has gained significant attention on social media, with a related hashtag (#台湾一男子持刀砍下84岁母亲头颅#) receiving over 160 million clicks.

 

The latest buzz in arts & pop culture

Jackie Chan’s ‘Memoriam’ Weibo Page | “Somebody once said that aging doesn’t happen all at once; it consists of many small farewells.” While the recent passing of Coco Lee has been a prominent topic on Chinese social media, the loss of such an influential figure has evoked sadness and nostalgia among many.

Amidst these discussions, a Weibo blogger (@马达的加斯加) pointed out an observation about the Weibo activity of Jackie Chan, the renowned Hong Kong actor and martial artist (b. 1954). The blogger noted that Jackie Chan’s recent posts on Weibo have primarily been farewells to friends who have passed away over the past year. He paid tribute to Coco Lee, honored Chinese artist Huang Yongyu, Hong Kong film director Alex Law, actor Kenneth Tsang, and bid farewell to Taiwanese martial artist Jimmy Wang Yu.

“One by one, old friends fade away like leaves in the wind. On Jackie Chan’s Weibo page, I witnessed an autumn scene,” wrote the blogger. The post quickly gained traction, resonating with many users who shared similar sentiments and expressed their mourning for Coco Lee and other iconic figures lost in recent years.

 

What’s Memorable

Best reads from the archive

Abe’s portrait via Wikicommons.

Chinese Responses to Abe’s Death | It has been a whole year since the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara on July 8, 2022. In this week’s pick from the archive, we reflect on an incident that unfolded in the aftermath of this event. A Chinese reporter based in Japan appeared on air to discuss the attack on Abe but faced severe backlash when she visibly struggled to hold back tears. Her emotional display led to accusations of being unpatriotic, and she even received threats for “crying over a Japanese right-winger who has no respect for the history of the invasion of China.”

Disturbingly, the situation took a further distressing turn when the reporter later attempted to take her own life. Presently, she continues to work in Japan, but even after the passage of one year, she continues to be subjected to cyber-bullying and harassment, due to that tearful moment captured during the live broadcast.

Read here
 

 

Weibo Word of the Week, by Zilan

The catchword to know

Background image source via Sohu.com.

Staying Pure in Times of Scandal | Our Weibo Word of the Week is 内娱纯元 (nèiyú chúnyuán), “Chunyuan of the Mainland entertainment industry.”

“Chunyuan of the Mainland entertainment industry” refers to idols in Mainland China who are regarded as flawless and worthy of admiration. The term “内娱” (nèiyú) is a shortened form of “内地娱乐圈” (nèidì yúlèquān), which means the Mainland entertainment industry. It encompasses the diverse group of celebrities actively involved in China’s showbiz (sometimes also including Hong Kong or Taiwan artists who are popular in the Mainland). Meanwhile, “纯元” (chúnyuán), meaning ‘pure essence,’ symbolizes individuals seen as unblemished by reality.

In the popular TV drama “Empresses in the Palace” (甄嬛传), Chunyuan refers to the deceased first wife of the emperor, who is frequently mentioned as a paragon of perfection, surpassing all other women in the palace, although she never appears on screen.

In light of the numerous scandals involving idols in mainland China in recent years, including prominent stars like Fan Bingbing (范冰冰), Kris Wu (吴亦凡), and more recently, Cai Xukun (蔡徐坤), discussions have emerged around identifying figures who remain untainted by controversy and are deserving of being cherished as flawless role models.

Some netizens have suggested former EXO members Lu Han (鹿晗) and Zhang Yixing (张艺兴), who were part of the same group as Kris Wu but have managed to maintain a clean reputation. Others nostalgically mention influential celebrities who have passed away and are fondly remembered, like Leslie Cheung (张国荣) or Anita Mui (梅艳芳).

 

This is an on-site version of the Weibo Watch newsletter by What’s on Weibo. Missed last week’s newsletter? Find it here. If you are already subscribed to What’s on Weibo but are not yet receiving this newsletter in your inbox, please contact us directly to let us know.

Stories that are authored by the What's on Weibo Team are the stories that multiple authors contributed to. Please check the names at the end of the articles to see who the authors are.

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Dear Reader

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.

Manya Koetse

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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 — nostalgic videos showing smoky internet cafes (wangba 网吧) from the early 2000s, where people chatted on QQ or played World of Warcraft on old Windows PCs while eating instant noodles. These clips trigger waves of nostalgia, even among internet users too young to remember that era themselves.

Internetcafe in 2005, image via 021zhaopin.com

The current nostalgia wave you see on Chinese social media is indicative of how China’s digital world has evolved over the past 25 years, shifting from one era to the next.

As I welcome a new name for this newsletter and say goodbye to ‘Weibo Watch’— and, in the longer run, to the ‘What’s on Weibo’ title, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic myself. It seems like a good moment to look back at the three major stages of Chinese social media, and at the reason I started What’s on Weibo in the first place.

 

 

1. The Blogging Boom (2002–2009): The Early Rise of Chinese Social Media

 

 

When I first came to China and became particularly interested in its online environment, it was the final phase of the early era of Chinese social media — a period that followed soon after the country had laid the foundations for its internet revolution. By 1999, the first generation of Chinese internet giants — Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, and Sina — had already been founded.

China’s blogging era began with the 2002 launch of the platform BlogChina.com (博客中国), followed by a wave of new platforms and online communities, among them Baidu Tieba and Renren. By around 2005, there were roughly 111 million internet users and 16 million bloggers, and the social impact was undeniable. 2005 was even dubbed China’s “year of blogging.” 1

Chinese writer Han Han (韩寒, born 1982), a high-school-dropout-turned–rally car racer, became one of the most-read figures on the Chinese internet with his sharp and witty blogs. He was just one among many who rose to fame during the blog era, becoming the voice of China’s post-1980s youth.

The rebel of China’s blog era, Han Han, became of voice of his generation.

 

When I moved to Beijing in 2008, I had a friend who was always out of money and practically lived in an internet cafe in the city’s Wudaokou district, not far from where I studied. We would visit him there as if it were his living room — the wangba was a local hangout for many of us.

Not only online forums and blogging sites were flourishing at the time, but there was also instant messaging through QQ (腾讯QQ), online news reading, and gaming. Platforms like the YouTube equivalents Tudou (土豆) and Youku (优酷) were launched, and soon Chinese companies began developing more successful products inspired by American digital platforms, such as Fanfou (饭否), Zuosa (做啥), Jiwai (叽歪), and Taotao (滔滔), creating an online space that was increasingly, and uniquely, Chinese.

That trajectory only accelerated after 2009, when popular Western internet services, including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, became inaccessible from within mainland China.

⚡ The launch of Sina Weibo in 2009 came at a crossroads for China’s social media landscape: it was not only a time when many foreign platforms exited China, but also when internet cafes faced major crackdowns.

As a foreigner, I don’t think I ever visited internet bars in Beijing anymore by that point — internet use had largely shifted to home connections. Laptop ownership was rising, and we all had (pre-smartphone) mobile phones, which we used to text each other constantly, since texting was cheaper than calling.

Some of the mobile phones in China’s 2009 top 10 lists.

 

Weibo came at just the right time. It filled the vacuum left by the online crackdowns across China’s internet while still benefiting from the popularity of blogging. Weibo (微博), after all, literally means “micro-blog” — micro because the number of characters was limited, just like Twitter, making short-form posts the main way of communication.

Weibo quickly became hugely successful, for many more reasons than just timing. Its impact on society was so palpable that its trending discussions often seeped into everyday conversations I had with friends in China.

In English-language media, I kept reading about what was being censored on the Chinese internet, but that wasn’t necessarily what I wanted to know — I also wanted to know what was on Weibo, so I could keep up with my social circles.

That question planted the seed for What’s on Weibo: the simple curiosity of “What are people talking about?” What TV series are popular? What jokes and controversies are everyone discussing (but that I never fully grasped)? I wanted to get a sense of an online world that was, in many ways, intangible to outsiders — including myself. As I had moved back to Europe by then, it was also a way for me to stay connected to those everyday conversations unfolding online in China.

With scissors, glue, and some paper, I started sketching out what a future website might look like.

Papercrafting the idea for a website named ‘What’s on Weibo’ in 2012.

 

And in March 2013, after doing my best to piece it together, I launched What’s on Weibo and began writing — about all kinds of trends, like the milk powder crisis, about China’s many unmarried “leftover men” (shengnan 剩男), and about the word of the moment, “Green Tea Bitch” (lǜchá biǎo 绿茶婊) — a term used to stereotype ambitious women who act sweet and innocent while being seen as calculating or cunning.

 

2. From Weibo to the Taobao MomentChina’s Mobile Social Era: (2010–2019)

 

Around 2014–2015, people started saying Weibo was dead. In fact, it hadn’t died at all — some of its most vibrant years were still ahead. It had simply stumbled into the mobile era, along with China’s entire social media landscape.

As mobile internet became more widespread and everyone started using WeChat (launched in 2011), new mobile-first platforms began to emerge.2 In 2012–2013, for example, apps like Toutiao and Xiaohongshu (小红书, RED) were launched as mobile community platforms. With the rapid rise of China’s new tech giants — Bytedance, Meituan, and Didi — a new mobile era was blossoming, leaving the PC-based social media world far behind.

Spending another summer in Beijing in 2014, I called it the “Taobao Moment” — Taobao being China’s most successful online marketplace, a platform for buying and selling practically everything from clothes and furniture to insurance and even Bitcoins. At the time, I thought Taobao captured everything Beijing was at that moment: a world of opportunities, quick decisions, and endless ways to earn and spend money.

On weekends, some of my friends would head to the markets near the Beijing Zoo to buy the latest dresses, purses, jeans, or shoes. They’d buy stock on Saturday, do a photo shoot on Sunday, and sell the goods online by Monday. You could often spot young people on the streets of Beijing staging their own fashion shoots for Taobao — friends posing as models, Canon cameras in hand.

During that period, What’s on Weibo gradually found its audience, as more people became curious about what was happening on Chinese social media.

Around 2016, Weibo entered another prime era as the “celebrity economy” took off and a wave of “super influencers” (超级红人) emerged on the platform. Papi Jiang stood out among them — her humorous videos on everyday social issues made her one of China’s most recognizable online personalities, helping to drive Weibo’s renewed popularity.


Witty Papi Jiang was a breath of fresh air on Weibo in 2016.

 

People were hooked on social media. Between 2015 and 2018, China entered the age of algorithm- & interest-driven multimedia platforms. The popularity of Kuaishou’s livestreaming and Bytedance’s Douyin signaled the start of an entirely new era.

 

 

3. The New Social Era of AI-fication and Diversification (2020–Current)

 

China’s social media shifts over the past 25 years go hand in hand with broader technological, social, and geopolitical changes. Although this holds true elsewhere too, it’s especially the case in China, where central leadership is deeply involved in how social media should be managed and which direction the country’s digital development should take.

Since the late 2010s, China’s focus on AI has permeated every layer of society. AI-driven recommendation systems have fundamentally changed how Chinese users consume information. Far more than Weibo, platforms like Douyin, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu have become popular for using machine-learning algorithms to tailor feeds based on user behavior.

China’s social media boom has put pressure on traditional media outlets, which are now increasingly weaving themselves into social media infrastructure to broaden their impact. This has blurred the line between social media and state media, creating a complex online media ecosystem.

At the same time, it’s not just AI and media convergence that are reshaping China’s online landscape — social relationships now dominate both information flows and influence flows. 3 Not everyone is reading the same headlines anymore; people spend more time within their own interest-based niches. It’s no longer about microblogging but about micro-communities.

China now has 1.12 billion internet users. Among new users, young people (aged 10–19) and the elderly (60+) account for 49% and nearly 21%, respectively. The country’s digital environment has never been more lively, and social media has never been more booming.

As a bit of a dinosaur in China’s social media world, Weibo still stands tall — and its trending topics still matter. But the community that was once at the heart of the Chinese internet has dispersed across other apps, where people now engage in more diverse ways than ever.

In China, I notice this shift: where I once saw the rise of Weibo, the Taobao boom, or the Douyin craze, I now see online and offline media increasingly converging. Social media shapes real-life experiences and vice versa, and AI has become integrated into nearly every part of the media ecosystem — changing how content is made, distributed, consumed, and controlled.

In this changing landscape, the mission of What’s on Weibo — to explain China’s digital culture, media, and social trends, and to build a bridge between Western and Chinese online spaces — has stayed the same. But the name no longer fits that mission.

Over the past few years, my work has naturally evolved from Weibo-focused coverage to exploring China’s digital culture through a broader lens. The analysis and trend updates will continue, but under a new name that better reflects a time when Weibo is no longer at the center of China’s social media world: Eye on Digital China.

For you as a subscriber (subscribe here), this means you can expect more newsletter-based coverage: shorter China Trend Watch editions to keep you up to date with the latest trends, along with other thematic features and ‘Chapter’ deep dives that explore the depth behind fleeting moments.

For now, the main website will remain What’s on Weibo, but it will gradually transition into Eye on Digital China. I’ll keep the full archive alive — more than twelve years of coverage that helps trace the digital patterns we’re still seeing today. After all, the story of China’s past online moments often tells us more about the future than the trends of the day.

Thank you for following along on this new journey.

 

By Manya Koetse

(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)

 

1 Liu, Fengshu. 2011. Urban Youth in China: Modernity, the Internet and the Self. New York: Routledge, 50.

2 Mao Lin (Michael). 2020. “中国互联网25年变迁:两次跃迁,四次浪潮,一次赌未来” [25 Years of China’s Internet: Two Leaps, Four Waves, and a Gamble on the Future]. 人人都是产品经理 (Everyone Is a Product Manager), January 3. https://www.woshipm.com/it/3282708.html.

3 Yang, Shaoli (杨绍丽). 2025. “研判2025!中国社交媒体行业发展历程、重点企业分析及未来前景展望:随着移动互联网兴起,社交媒体开始向移动端转移 [Outlook for 2025! The Development History, Key Enterprises, and Future Prospects of China’s Social Media Industry: With the Rise of Mobile Internet, Social Media Has Shifted to Mobile Platforms].” Zhiyan Consulting (智研咨询), February 7. https://www.chyxx.com/industry/1211618.html.

 

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Eye on Digital China, by Manya Koetse, is co-published on Substack and What’s on Weibo.
Both feature the same new content — so you can read and subscribe wherever you prefer. Substack offers community features, while What’s on Weibo provides full archive access. If you’re already subscribed and want to switch platforms, just get in touch for help. Both feature the same new content — so you can subscribe or read wherever you prefer. If you’re already subscribed on one platform and would like to move your subscription over, just let me know and I’ll help you get set up.

© 2025 Manya Koetse. All rights reserved.

 

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China Media

IShowSpeed in China: Streaming China’s Stories Well

Manya Koetse

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“This man is doing God’s work. In just six hours, he eliminated all Western media propaganda about China,” Chinese influencer Li Sanjin (李三金) said in one of his videos this week. The man he referred to, allegedly doing ‘God’s work,’ is the American YouTuber and online streamer Darren Watkins, better known as IShowSpeed or Speed, who visited China this week and livestreamed from various locations.

With 37 million followers on his YouTube account, Watkins’ visit hasn’t exactly flown under the radar. His streams from China have already accumulated over 17.5 million views on YouTube alone, and he also became the talk of the week on Chinese social media.

In China, the 20-year-old IShowSpeed is known as Jiǎkànggē (甲亢哥), or “Hyper Bro,” since the immensely popular YouTube star is known for being highly energetic.

Although IShowSpeed is originally known for soccer and gaming-related content, he’s been streaming live from various countries over the past year, from Ecuador to Bolivia, from Australia to Indonesia, from Romania to Japan, and also from the Netherlands, where a mob of fans harassed the YouTuber to such an extent that the influencer fled and panicked, until the police intervened and asked him to shut down the livestream for safety reasons — which he did not comply with.

It was not the only time IShowSpeed’s visit got chaotic. He also got into trouble during livestreams from other countries. While streaming from Norway, he injured his ankle and was swarmed by a crowd while trying to get out. In Greece and Indonesia, he had to ask for police support as well. In Thailand, he crashed a tuk-tuk into a temple wall.

In China, IShowSpeed’s livestreams went far more smoothly, and netizens, state media, and other official channels raved about his visit and its favorable portrayal of the country and its culture.

 
🔹 Symbol of Cultural Exchange & Positive Diplomacy
 

Jiǎkànggē” became one of the viral terms of the week, on Weibo, Kuaishou, Douyin, and Toutiao. During his China trip, the livestreamer hit several YouTube milestones — not only breaking the 37 million subscriber mark while on stream, but also surpassing the magic number of 10 million views in total.

Watkins, also known for being (sometimes aggressively) loud and chaotic, suddenly emerged as a symbol of cultural exchange and positive diplomacy. The past week saw hashtags such as:

#️⃣”IShowSpeed gives young foreigners a full-window view into China” (#甲亢哥给国外年轻人开了全景天窗#)
#️⃣”IShowSpeed’s Shanghai livestream breaks Western filter on China” (#甲亢哥上海直播打破西方对中国滤镜#)
#️⃣”American influencer IShowSpeed amazed by stable wifi on China’s high-speed train” (#美国网红甲亢哥被高铁稳定网络震惊#)
#️⃣”IShowSpeed praised deep tried tripe for being incredibly delicious” (#甲亢哥赞爆肚太好吃了#), or
#️⃣ “IShowSpeed bridges the cultural divide” (#甲亢哥弥合文化鸿沟#).

While in Chinese media, Watkins was lauded for shining a positive light on China, this message was also promoted on English-language social media, where he was praised by the Chinese embassy in the US (#驻美大使馆称赞甲亢哥中国行#), writing:

Post by Chinese Embassy in the US on X, March 26.

This 20-year-old American internet star is bridging cultural gaps through digital means and creating new channels for foreign audiences to better understand China.

So what exactly did IShowSpeed do while in China?

On March 24, Watkins livestreamed from Shanghai. He wandered around the city center, visited a KFC, danced with fellow streamers, stopped by a marriage market, ate noodles, played ping-pong, had hotpot, joined a dragon dance group and got acquainted with some traditional Chinese opera performance, and walked along the Bund.

On March 26, he streamed from Beijing, starting in Donghuamen before briefly entering the Forbidden City—dressed in a Dongbei-style floral suit. He later took a stroll around Nanluoguxiang and the scenic Houhai lake, rode a train, and finally visited the Great Wall, where he did backflips.

In his stream on March 28, Watkins traveled to Henan to visit the famous Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, hoping to find a master to teach him kung fu. He trained with Shaolin monks—footage that quickly went viral.

Lastly, on March 29, he opened his own Weibo account and published his first post. On Douyin, he shared a video of his visit to Fuxi Mountain in Zhengzhou, featuring the popular “Stairway to Heaven” tourist spot.

On social media, many viewers were captivated by the content. One major talking point was the remarkably strong internet connection that allowed him to livestream for six-hour stretches without losing signal in Shanghai. (Though his Beijing stream started off patchier, the drop was minor.) For many, it symbolized the quality of China’s 5G services.

Foreign viewers also praised how safe, friendly, and clean the country appeared, and how his streams highlighted various aspects of Chinese culture—from everyday people to traditional arts and local cuisine.

 
🔹 Telling & Spreading China’s Stories Well
 

It is no wonder the success of the Jiǎkànggē livestreams is celebrated by Chinese official media in an age where China’s foreign communication aims to increase China’s international discourse power, shaping how the world views China and making that image more credible, more respectable, and more lovable.

That’s not just an observation — it’s an official strategy. Introduced by Xi Jinping in 2013, “Telling China’s Story Well” (“讲好中国故事”) is a political slogan that has become a key propaganda strategy for China and continues to be a priority in finding different ways of promoting Chinese culture — new ways of telling China’s story in the social media age – while countering Western dominant narratives about China.

In increasingly digitalized times, it is not just about telling China’s story well, but also spreading China’s message effectively — preferably through genuine and engaging stories (Cai 2013; Qiushi 2021).

Especially young, non-official ‘storytellers’ can make China’s image more relatable and dynamic. One major example, highlighted in a 2022 case study by Zeng Dan (曾丹), is Chinese influencer Li Ziqi (李子柒). You’ve probably heard of her, or seen snippets of her videos: she creates soothing, cinematic content depicting China’s countryside lifestyle, focused on cooking, crafts, and gardening. With 26 million followers on YouTube, Li Ziqi became a viral sensation who successfully communicated an authentic and appealing ‘China story’ to a broad global audience.

Li Ziqi in one of her YouTube videos.

Although the calm and composed Li Ziqi and the loud, chaotic IShowSpeed couldn’t be more different, they have some things in common: both have large international fanbases, including their millions of YouTube subscribers; they offer perspectives that differ from Chinese state media or official channels; and they have the capacity not just to tell China’s story well, but to spread it effectively through videos and livestreams.

 
🔹 Spontaneous Stream or Scripted Propaganda?
 

IShowSpeed’s China streams have triggered a wave of responses from fans and viewers, sparking discussions across international social media and even making newspaper headlines.

In English-language online media spheres, there appear to be a range of perspectives on Watkins’ China trip:

📌 One prominent view—also echoed by various foreign influencers on YouTube and other platforms—is that IShowSpeed’s visit counters “Western media lies” about China and has successfully shown the “real China” through his livestreams. The Shanghai-based media outlet Radii claimed that “IShowSpeed’s China Tour is doing more for Chinese Soft Power than most diplomats ever could.”

📌 Others challenge this narrative, questioning which dominant Western portrayals of China IShowSpeed has actually disproven. Some argue that the idea of China being a “bleak place with nothing to do where people live in misery” is itself a false narrative, and that presenting IShowSpeed’s livestreams as a counter to that is its own form of propaganda (see: Chopsticks and Trains).

📌 There are also those who see Watkins’ trip as a form of scripted propaganda. To what extent were his livestreams planned or orchestrated? That question has become one of the central points of debate surrounding the hype around his visit.

These rumors have been addressed by cameraman Slipz (@shotbyslipz), who took to X on March 28, 2025. Slipz posted that the team is “(..) not making political content, not any documentary and no journalism,” and later added: “Fact: amount of money IShowSpeed has received from Chinese Government = $0.”

But does the fact that IShowSpeed did not receive money from the Chinese government mean that it wasn’t also a form of China promotion?

➡️ Organized — it definitely was. Any media trip in China has to be. IShowSpeed would have needed a visa, he had translators with him, and throughout the streams it’s evident that local guards and public security officers were present, walking alongside and helping to keep things under control, especially in crowded areas and at major tourist spots — from Nanjing Road in Shanghai to an entire group of guards seemingly accompanying the entourage in the Forbidden City.

One logistical “advantage” to his visit was the fact that YouTube is blocked in China. While some Chinese fans do bypass the Great Firewall to access the platform, IShowSpeed remains far less known in China than in many other countries — a factor that likely contributed to how smoothly the streams went and helped prevent chaos. The team also launched a Douyin account during the trip, where he now has over two million followers. (To stream directly to their 37 million followers on YouTube, Watkins’ team either needed a VPN to access WiFi or had arranged roaming SIM cards to stay connected.)

➡️ Was it staged? Many parts clearly weren’t: casual public conversations, spontaneous barber visits in both Shanghai and Beijing (with barbers looking unsure of how to handle the situation), and wholesome fan encounters. There was even a moment when Watkins walked into a public restroom and forgot to mute the sound.

But other parts of the trip were undeniably staged — or at least framed to appear spontaneous. When visiting a marriage market in Shanghai, for instance, two actors appeared, including one woman with a sign stating she was looking for someone “capable of doing backflips.”

When Watkins took a “random” ride in what was described as the fastest car in China — the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra — the vehicle appeared to be conveniently parked and ready.

Similarly, when the streamer “ran into” Chinese-American TikTok influencer Miles Moretti (李美越) in Beijing, it turned out to be the person who would give him the now-iconic bright Dongbei flower suit and accompany him on his journey.

The ping-pong, the kung fu, the Peking opera, the hotpot, the Forbidden City tour — it all plays into the kinds of experiences that official channels also like to highlight. While likely planned by Watkins’ team in coordination with local partners, it was all far more orderly and tourism-focused than, for example, Watkins’ chaotic visit to the Netherlands.

Watkins and his entourage were also well-informed about the local dos and don’ts. At one point, Watkins even mentions “following the rules,” and when Moretti tells him mid-stream that “somebody very important lives on our left,” Watkins asks “Who?” — but the camera zooms out and the question goes unanswered, suggesting they may have been reminded that certain names or topics were off-limits (judge the moment for yourself here).

The livestream didn’t always go exactly the way Watkins wanted, either. When he attempted to take more random walks around the city, the crew appeared to be informed that some areas were off-limits, and he was asked to return to the car to continue the trip (clips here and here).

 
🔹 The “Nàge” Song
 

One major talking point surrounding IShowSpeed’s China livestreams was “the N-word.” No, not that N-word — but the Chinese filler word “nàge” or “nèige” (那个). Like “uhm” in English or “eto” in Japanese, “nàge” is a hesitation marker commonly used in everyday Mandarin conversation. It also functions as a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.”

The word has previously stirred controversy because of its phonetic resemblance to a racial slur in English. In 2020, an American professor at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business was even temporarily suspended after using the word during an online communications class — some students misunderstood its context and took offense.

The word — and the song “Sunshine, Rainbow, White Pony” (阳光彩虹小白马) by Chinese singer Wowkie Zhang (大张伟), which repeatedly features the word nàge in its chorus — popped up multiple times during Watkins’ trip. The catchy tune essentially became the theme song of his visit.

The first nàge moment actually already appeared within the first five minutes of Watkins’ Shanghai stream, when a Chinese comedian approached him on the street, trying to recall a joke. “What?!” Watkins reacted, with laughter in the background. “That’s not a joke, you said n**! It’s my first five minutes in China!” he exclaimed, before patting the man’s back in a friendly gesture, clearly not offended.

🔄 It resurfaced again within the first hour when Watkins visited a marriage market and one of the performers sang the Wowkie Zhang song. Watkins initially acted shocked, then demanded they sing it again — only to burst out laughing and start singing along.

🔄 Later, he sang the song again with a street saxophonist and encouraged others to join in.

🔄 At other moments, he played up the drama again, feigning anger when a crowd broke into the chorus, and it became a recurring gag throughout the streams.

These incidents all seem staged. One of the main reasons Watkins is known to many netizens in China is because of an older video clip showing his exaggerated reaction to the nàge song — dating back to at least 2022. So while it may have looked spontaneous, Watkins was already familiar with the word and the viral song long before his China trip.The attention given to the nàge ‘controversy’ was likely amplified for views and engagement.

While Watkins was clearly in on this part of the show — as with others — he also seemed genuinely, and at times amusingly, unaware of many things in China. He repeatedly referred to RMB as “dollars,” mistook elderly women for retired YouTube streamers, and even assumed that a woman livestreaming near the Forbidden City was reading his chat and trying to collaborate with him — although she seemed totally uninterested and was just minding her own business.

 
🔹 A Win-Win Situation
 

In the end, IShowSpeed’s visit highlighted two sides effectively doing their job. Watkins and his team successfully arranged a YouTube trip that generated high ad revenue, attracted millions of new subscribers, and boosted his brand and global fame.

On the Chinese side, there was clearly coordination behind the scenes to ensure the trip went smoothly: avoiding controversy, ensuring safety, and showcasing positive aspects of Chinese culture. From traditional opera and kung fu to ping pong, IShowSpeed’s content gave center stage to the kinds of cultural highlights that align closely with China’s official narratives and tourism goals. Even if the government didn’t pay the YouTuber directly, as his team has emphasized (and there’s no reason to doubt them), the trip still fit seamlessly into China’s soft power strategy.

IShowSpeed’s China visit has created a unique media moment that resonates for several reasons: it’s the encounter of a young modern American with old traditional China; it is a streamer known for chaos visiting a nation known for control. And it brings different benefits to both sides: clicks and ad revenue for IShowSpeed, and free foreign-facing publicity for China.

No, IShowSpeed didn’t undo years of critical Western media coverage on China. But what his visit shows is that we’ve entered a phase where China is becoming more skilled at letting others help tell its story — in ways that resonate with a global, young, online audience. He didn’t do “God’s work.” He simply did what he always does: stream. And with China’s help, he streamed China very well.

There’s so much more I want to share with you this week — from Chinese reactions to the devastating Myanmar earthquake, to a recent podcast I joined with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf (link in Dutch, for those interested). But it also happens to be my birthday today, and I’m really hoping to still grab some birthday hotpot — so I’ll wrap this up here. I’ll keep you informed on the other trends in the next newsletter.📨.

Best,
Manya
(@manyapan)

 

References:

Cai, Mingzhao 蔡名照. 2013. “Telling China’s Stories Well and Spreading China’s Voice: Thoroughly Studying and Implementing the Spirit of Comrade Xi Jinping’s Important Speech at the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work [讲好中国故事,传播好中国声音——深入学习贯彻习近平同志在全国宣传思想工作会议上的重要讲话精神].” People’s Daily 人民日报, October 10. http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2013/1010/c1001-23144775.html. Accessed March 29.

Qiushi 求是网. 2021. “Xi Jinping: Telling China’s Story Well, Spread China’s Voice Well [习近平:讲好中国故事,传播好中国声音].” Qs Theory, June 6. http://www.qstheory.cn/zhuanqu/2021-06/02/c_1127522386.htm. Accessed March 29.

Zeng Dan 曾丹. 2022. “How to Tell China’s Story Well: Taking Li Ziqi as an Example [如何讲好中国故事——以李子柒为例].” Progress in Social Sciences 社会科学进展 4 (1): 10–19. https://doi.org/10.35534/pss.0401002.

 

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