social media

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

German embassy remembers Liu Xiaobo
The German Embassy in Beijing continues to abstain from self-censorship on Chinese social media. After it had already cleverly commemorated the Tiananmen Square massacre a few weeks ago, it now drew attention to the Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, who died in Chinese custody.The embassy uses the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations for this […] continue reading →
German Embassy holds up a mirror to China
The German Embassy in Beijing commemorated the Tiananmen Square massacre with a clever online post on the short messaging service Weibo. To do so, the embassy used a tribute to the anniversary of diplomatic relations, recalling defining events in each of the two countries’ past 50 years. For 1989, it published a photo from the […] continue reading →
‘No clue, but sounds awesome!’
So To Speak – Episode 72, 10.10.2022不明觉厉bùmíngjuélìWhen learning Chinese, the classical four-part proverbs – the so-called Chengyu (成语 chéngyǔ) – open up a fascinating new universe. In just four inconspicuous characters, these linguistically pocket-sized aphorisms summarize profound wisdom and empirical values that have been passed down in China for centuries. The only catch: Chengyu can […] continue reading →
‘A different Germany’ – WeChat as an alternative news source
Getting German news beyond the official state media is often hard for Chinese readers. Some WeChat channels that specialize in political events and social phenomena in Germany aim to provide a more differentiated picture. We present three of them. continue reading →
Getting past the censors with creativity
Bloggers use imagination and wit to fool the omnipresent controllers of the Chinese censorship apparatus. Their often virtuous linguistic creations form a still unwritten online dictionary of Chinese protest culture. continue reading →
App providers to promote ‘socialist values’
China’s authorities have issued new rules for mobile apps. As of August 1, providers of messaging and information apps are only allowed to serve users who have registered themselves with their real names, as the business portal Caixin reports. According to the new regulations, app providers are also responsible for the content presented in the […] continue reading →
Fragile Hearts: Cancel Culture in China
Nowadays, no one is safe from the public outcry over supposedly improper remarks. Not only global corporations, but even pop stars loyal to the state are now quickly pilloried on the Internet for hurting the "feelings of the people." The government utilizes this patriotic outrage to push its foreign policy agenda. continue reading →
Meet meta-human influencer Ayayi
Ayayi may only be two months old, but she already has almost 90,000 followers. With her blonde bob hairstyle, at first glance, one might actually think of her as a human being of flesh and blood. But she isn’t. Instead, Ayayi is a digitally programmed, hyper-realistic-looking woman modeled as a Chinese girl in her twenties. […] continue reading →