internet

China’s CEOs Become Online Influencers to Gain Edge

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

Chinese entrepreneurs are taking a more personal, down-to-earth approach toward the public to gain an advantage in fiercely competitive markets.

Li Xin

China’s Virtual Streamers Get a Reality Check

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

The popular streaming platform Bilibili wanted to grow its stable of VTubers. Instead, it threw the industry into chaos.

Gong Xin

Last Word: Closing the Book on China’s Slang Gang

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

The idealistic team behind Jikipedia, an online dictionary of Chinese internet slang, shares the highs and lows of creating a pop culture phenomenon.

BIE  (biede)

To Dodge Phone Bans, Chinese Students Hide Them in Plain Sight

Students are using disguised water bottles, notebooks, and mirrors to sneak smartphones into classrooms, fueling a booming market for hidden phone gadgets.

Like, Comment, Prescribe: The Vloggers ‘Diagnosing’ Their Followers

As short videos analyzing personality disorders flood Chinese social media, netizens are starting to convince themselves they have one.

China  Youth Daily

China Slams AI-Generated Memes for ‘Desecrating’ Traditional Culture

Netizens are using AI video tools to spoof all manner of Chinese classics. The authorities are not amused.

Jiang Xinyi

Livestream Training Courses Are Booming in China. Many Are a Total Scam.

Companies are ripping off aspiring livestreamers with expensive sessions that provide few practical benefits, industry insiders say.

Fan Yiying

China’s Facebook Goes Dark, Taking a Generation’s Memories With It

Renren captured campus life, friendships, and milestones before smartphones and cloud storage. This week, its sudden suspension left a generation scrambling to salvage their digital past.

Chen Yiru

After the Storm: Influencer Reflects on Pregnancy Backlash

An online influencer from the Chinese countryside who was criticized for delaying her graduate studies to have a child shares the reality behind the media storm.

Jiemian News

The Women Living Alone — and Loving It — on Xiaohongshu

Vlogs about the single life are popular on the app, sometimes referred to as “China’s Instagram,” but are their stars as free as they seem?

Guo Jia

An Olympian’s Viral Photo Has Young Chinese Racing for Toy Turtles

After a viral post by Olympic diving sensation Quan Hongchan, toy turtles became the latest must-have for young Chinese fans, fueling a nationwide blind box obsession.

He Qitong

Can China Curb the Online Harrassment of Women?

The Olympics cast a harsh spotlight on the treatment of women online.

Huang Qian

Queen’s Gambit: The Lowly Chinese Go Player Who Conquered the Sport

Zhan Ying finished her last pro season 2-16. How did she become one of the sport’s top streamers?

Cai Yineng

Her Boyfriend Killed Himself. The Internet Blamed Her.

After a Chinese gaming influencer took his own life, his former girlfriend was subjected to a vicious online hate campaign. Now it has emerged that the influencer’s family orchestrated the doxxing.

Ding Xiaoyan

Year After Going Under, China’s Iconic Online Forum Plots a Comeback

Announcing that it had secured the funds to restart, the online forum Tianya also revealed plans to introduce e-commerce services and paid memberships to remain financially viable.

Chinese Star’s Online Health Updates Fuel a Clickbait Controversy

Authorities have confirmed that several photos and videos that Chinese celebrity Gao Junyu shared last week, documenting her brain tumor treatment, were actually from last year.

China’s New Hit: A Cheesy Drama About a Time Traveling Stepmother

Tapping into China’s fast changing family values and societal norms, “I Became a Stepmother in the 1980s” is striking a chord with millions.

AI, Memes Make Communication Harder for Young Chinese: New Survey

According to a China Youth Daily survey, nearly half of young Chinese reported poor verbal skills, while over 40% said they were less inclined to write by hand and struggled with clearly expressing ideas.

Ye Zhanhang

Huang Yang

How a Chinese Cat With a Doleful Mug Became an Online Star

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

Meet Guangdang, whose insatiable appetite and captivating face endeared her to millions of cat lovers around the world.

White Hat, Black Hat: Bringing Hackers Out of the Shadows

An annual competition is aiming to change attitudes toward “white hat” hackers, as industry experts warn companies about the risks of underinvestment in cybersecurity.