Chinese netizens “raising lobsters,” farmer pensions emerging as a key Two Sessions talking point, and humanoid robots ...

Watch the CGM Spring Festival Gala with us. It’s that special annual evening show that captures millions of viewers on the night of the Chinese New Year. Loved by many, hated by some, it always ...

From Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court fire and China’s new “family member” rule to Japanese concerts halted, the Nantong viral remark, childcare subsidy payouts, 6G trials, and top social media debates.

Part of Eye on Digital China. This edition was sent to paid subscribers — subscribe to receive the next issue in your inbox. I’m very grateful to everyone who has followed my journey with What’s on ...

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. This edition of the Eye on Digital China newsletter by Manya Koetse was ...

For a long time, Chinese netizens have criticized how photography of Chinese news events by Western outlets—from BBC and CNN to AFP—makes China look more gloomy or intimidating. During this year’s ...

“You think we’re scared of you? It’s not like we haven’t been to jail before.” These days have been filled with tension and anger in the city of Jiangyou (江油市), Sichuan, after a rare, large-scale ...

🔥 This column also appeared in the Weibo Watch newsletter. Subscribe to stay in the loop. Earlier this month, a female Weibo user nicknamed “The Armpit-Haired Dude” (@腋毛大汉) posted an exposé on Weibo, ...

From ugly-cute rebellion to a new kind of ‘C-pop,’ the breakout success of Wakuku sheds light on Chinese consumer culture and the forces driving China’s trend toy industry. Wakuku is the most ...

Labubu is not ‘Chinese’ at all—and at the same time, it is very much a product of present-day China. Labubu – the hottest toy of 2025 – is making headlines everywhere these days. The little creature ...

Russian recruitment ads, China’s censorship, and how Western media sometimes guess Beijing’s stance by reading between the wrong lines. Recently, news broke that two Chinese nationals were captured by ...

What began as K-pop fan outrage targeting a snarky commenter quickly escalated into a Baidu-linked scandal and a broader conversation about data privacy on Chinese social media. For an ordinary person ...